Stained by Sin
by YourUnknownColor
Summary: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.//First KH Fic//SxK, some NxR.
1. Scent of Discovery

This is my first Kingdom Hearts fanfic. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

_Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. Vampires bring them together again, but it also tears them apart. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives. _

* * *

**1. SCENT OF DISCOVERY  
****~Kanashimi no Kizu~**

I ran up that steep hill, my breathing getting heavier and more labored as I approached the peak. I had to see him at least once before he disappeared from my life. I had to let him know how I felt, that I loved him. At the top, a dark shadow stood beside the old oak tree against the bright setting sun. Reds and oranges, the color of twilight, bathed his figure.

"Sora?" I called as I neared the tall tree, "Is that you?"

The dark figure only nodded as a response, remaining silent as he walked toward me.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I pleaded, finding my breath. "Why are you leaving?"

Sora stepped in front of me, his bright blue eyes intently gazing into mine. By looking into them, I could tell he wasn't going to answer me. He took my hand into his, holding it tightly, like he was afraid of something. His fingers trembled as they held on tightly to mine.

"Sora, before you go, I wanted to tell you…" My breathing was becoming more fast-paced from nervousness. "I want to tell you how I felt, that I lo—"

I never got a chance to finish. Sora grabbed my waist, pulling me toward him. He pressed his lips against mine, slipping a piece of paper in my hand. After an intense moment of passionate kissing, he broke away abruptly, the sensation of his lips on mine still lingering. He leaned toward me, whispering his last words in my ear.

"Wait for me…"

Before allowing me to respond or say goodbye, Sora disappeared as a dark figure into the sunset. I touched my lips, the warmth from his lips still there, and then remembered the note he slid into my fingers. Leaning against the tree, I delicately unfolded the piece of paper.

"There's something that I need to tell you, but now is  
not the right time. I'll come back to you when the time  
is right. So please, just wait for me."

-----

"Kairi! Are you even listening to me?"

Quickly re-folding the note and tucking it safely in her sleeve, Kairi looked up at her boss…who was also her father.

Her father was also a researcher. Professor Kaito studied a very strange topic…the topic of vampires. He worked to find a substitution for blood to satisfy a vampire's thirst for it, the only major difference between them and normal humans. On top of being a father and a scientist, he ran an agency where a select trained few hunted_ Renegades_, rouge vampires whose blood-thirsty nature had completely taken over.

"Honestly, Kairi," her father scolded, "if it weren't for the fact that Riku was your partner, you'd be gone out there."

"Sorry dad," she apologized, "won't happen again. I promise."

"I don't know whether to believe you now or the first fifty times you said that," her father retorted, handing Riku, who was sitting beside Kairi, a manila envelope. "There have been many reports about groups of people being found unconscious in an alley in the downtown area of the city. The people are fine, but have strange markings on their necks. I want you two to go check on this, but be careful," he urged, "you two have school tomorrow."

"Nice to know that you care about our well-being," Riku joked, leaning back on his chair.

"Your school's been on my case because of how often you two sleep in class or call off because of injuries," he explained. "Since they can't know the complete truth, I have to take some of the blame…actually most of the blame."

"We got it, we got it," Riku said before Kaito started off on some rant. "Is there anything else?"

"Nah, you're dismissed," he answered as the two started to leave. "But, Kairi, honey, be careful."

Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore," she responded. "I'm seventeen now. Don't treat me like a child."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I'm positive about this."

"Just…be careful," he answered after a moment of brief silence, as if he wanted to tell her something, but opted against it.

"I'll try," she replied, following Riku, who carried the manila envelope in his hands, down the hallway.

"Why do you keep pulling out that silly piece of paper?" Riku questioned.

"It's not silly!" she retorted, clutching the note to her heart. "It's the last thing he left me before he left a year ago."

"Is he the reason you're doing this?" he replied. "Putting yourself in danger by going out and hunting vampires?"

"I'm not exactly sure he's the reason, but something inside me tells me that if I do this, I'll get a chance to meet him again."

"Yeah, in a dark alley where you find out that he's become a bloodthirsty beast bent on sucking the blood out of your neck."

"Don't even joke like that Riku! He was your friend too," Kairi responded, finding it hard to believe that Riku would even joke like that. "Besides, why are you doing this? Vampire suck the blood out of someone you know?"

"Actually," his tone had become dark and serious, "yes. Just last year. A _Renegade_ attacked one of my friends from across the state. I promised to find a way to avenge his death, along with all the others who fell victim to vampires."

'I'm sorry," her voice dropping to an apologetic tone, "I didn't know."

"It's okay," he told her. "I never told you."

The air between the two of them became quiet as they geared up. Kairi picked up a long silver rod, named _Flowering Strength_, and collapsed it to the size of a water bottle, placing it in the band wrapped around her right leg. Riku loaded his silver gun, _Way to Dawn_, with anti-vampire bullets, an invention by Kairi's father that would only harm the sorrowful creature of the night. He put away his weapon into the protector located at his right hip. They both went outside, Riku handing Kairi the envelope as the two stepped into his car.

"Your dad did say that we were going downtown, right?" he asked, starting up the car.

"Yeah," she answered, reading the documents that she pulled out from the envelope. "By that abandoned apartment building across the street from the tattoo parlor."

"One of them could've done it," he said, giving the gas a bit more pressure. "Maybe they thought that it would've been a hilarious prank to make people think vampires exist."

"But then why wouldn't they just make the marks look more like a vampire bite?" Kairi argued. "Only a few people can distinguish the mark of a vampire. Otherwise, it looks like a strange marking to normal people.

"You're right about that," Riku agreed, turning onto their desired street. "Looks like nothin's going on tonight."

"Wait, wait," Kairi put her hand up, "I think I saw something."

"How can you see anything? It's pitch black out there except for the light of the moon."

"If you're not coming, I'll go by myself." She opened the door and quickly stepped out into the brisk cold air.

Riku followed, locking the car door from the inside so to not make too much noise. "What did you see?"

"Something…or someone staggering in the shadows," she explained, pointing to the alley. "And I think something was following it."

"You think it's what we're looking for?"

"Dunno, but we should check it out."

Slowly and in pace with each other, Kairi and Riku started toward the alley. It was silent, that walk down the alleyway. Then the sound of something - more like someone - being thrown against the brick walls resonated into the dark sky, followed by grunts of pain. The pair rushed down the ominous path. When they arrived at the origin of the cries, a tall man clutched a young teenager by his throat, the first barring his fangs and ready for a meal.

Kairi gasped when she saw the face of the young man in the sickly pale moonlight. "I-i-it can't be…" she muttered.

The vampire, upon hearing her voice, turned his attention toward Kairi, a gluttonous gleam in his eyes. "A girl…" he said lustfully, "…and a pretty one at that…I wonder how she would taste…"

"You take one step toward her," Riku threatened, his _Way to Dawn_ in hand and loaded, "and it'll be the end of you."

"At least let me enjoy one last meal," the man replied, pushing the boy up higher against the black curtain of concrete and drawing his fangs closer to the young boy's neck.

Kairi acted quickly and grabbed _Flowering Strength_, holding it against the vampire's throat. "Let go of him," she commanded, her eyes serious, "now."

The man was wincing from the effects of the staff. "How about you take his place?" he asked. After he didn't receive a response, he questioned, "No?"

Stealthily, the man slid his foot underneath Kairi, and the next thing she knew, she was laying on the ground, her head pained from connecting with the ground. With an open opportunity, the vampire fled under the cover of the darkness of the night. Gunshots were heard, but none hit their target. Riku hurried to Kairi's side.

"You okay?" he asked, putting his gun away as he kneeled on the ground next to her.

"Don't worry about me," she answered, sitting up with certain difficulty.

"Are you nuts? You could've gotten a concussion from a hit like that," he replied, watching her getting up on her feet. "What are you doing?"

"Sora…" she said, walking with some complication. "We need to make sure…" her breathing was getting labored as her vision started to blur, "make sure…that Sora's okay…" She collapsed onto the ground and everything went black.

------

"Kairi? Are you okay?" a voice called out as Kairi slowly regained consciousness. Two blurred figures came into view as she opened her eyes.

"Riku?" she said, finally awakened only to find herself sitting amongst a pile of trash bags. "What am I doing here?"

"Looks like you really may have suffered something from that first fall," Riku diagnosed, relieved that she was okay.

"Who is standing behind you?" she asked, seeing a figure cloaked in darkness move in the space behind Riku.

"C'mon Kairi," a familiar voice answered, stepping froth into the dim moonlight, "it's only been a year. You already forgot about me?"

It took Kairi a moment to realize that the voice belonged to the person she was waiting for. She could hardly contain her excitement and threw her arms around him when he stepped in front of her. "Sora! It's really you! You've come back!"

"Yeah," Sora replied, slowly putting his arms on her back, "I'm back."

Tears filling her eyes, Kairi held him tighter, but that caused Sora to let out a small groan of pain. At that point, Kairi felt some kind of liquid soak into the sleeve of her jacket.

"Sora, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed when she realized the liquid was trickling from his neck. "You didn't get bitten, did you?"

Sora reached up and touched the wound. "No," he responded in a flat voice after looking at the blood on his fingers and quickly wiping it on his pants. "His fingernails must've cut me," he concluded, referring to the vampire.

"We should get that bandaged," Riku stated, tearing off a piece of his shirt and handing it to Kairi. "We'll have to do that at the clinic, so this will have to do for now."

"Thanks," Sora answered as Kairi wrapped the fabric snuggly around his neck. "I really don't like the scent of blood."

"Does it make you queasy?" Kairi asked, finishing the knot of the temporary bandage.

"Not exactly," he replied, touching the site of the wound again.

"We should probably get going," Riku suggested, already heading back to the car. "Your dad's gonna wanna run a medical check on Sora."

Kairi took Sora's arm in hers, urging him to come with her. "Let's go, Sora. My daddy's probably gonna run that medical check. Besides, he'll be so happy to see you."

Sora followed, but with full knowledge that 'daddy' wouldn't be so thrilled to see him. That was unless he had a certain piece of information that the professor wanted to hear.

-----

"Your father's busy right now," someone informed Kairi when she asked to see her father. "He's putting together his research on the blood tablets to present to the government, but he'll meet you in his office in about five minutes."

"Thank you," Kairi responded as the woman walked away. "I guess that we'll have to go to daddy's office and wait."

"I think that you need to be checked over too, Kairi," Riku stated.

"I'm fine," she argued.

"I agree with Riku," Sora said. "I don't want you to be seriously hurt because you tried to help me."

"Fine," she relented, being outnumbered 2-to-1. "But at least let me go with you two to daddy's office. I promise to go get my head checked when we get there."

"But Kai—"

"Sora," Riku interrupted, "you've been gone for a year and obviously don't remember how stubborn she is."

Smiling at her triumph, Kairi linked arms with her two friends. "Let's go."

Along the way to the back of the building, Kairi pointed out the various rooms and what research was occurring in each room: one was developing anit-vampire weaponry, another was dedicated to research on the blood tablets, and another was specialized in studying the swift healing ability that vampires possessed.

Someone walked out of a room marked "Product Testing" and saw the group, doing a double-take when he saw the third person with the usual two. A look of recognition appeared on his face and he rushed over to the three.

"Hey Axel-sama," Kairi greeted when he approached them.

Completely ignoring her, Axel took Sora's free hand in his, shaking it with fierceness. "Sora! I can't believe it's you. You're alive!"

"You two know each other?" Riku asked, making certain unseen observations and connections in his mind. "How?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know him," Sora answered, nervous about something as he pulled his hand way from the stranger's grip.

"Well, he seems to know you," Riku stated. "That's a little strange, considering that you're human and Axel is one of our resident vampires."

"You've got vampires living here?" Sora inquired.

"Yeah, some of them even come to school with us," Kairi responded. "So Axel," she shifted the conversation to another topic, "how are the blood tablets?"

"I've had better," Axel joked. "It really doesn't substitute for the original just yet. Although they're better than the first batch."

"I just want to thank you for convincing the other's to help our research," Kairi said.

"Well, as a _Superior_, I do have some powers over the others," Axel replied. "Besides, if it helps to decrease the number of us getting hunted down and killed, I want to provide any help possible."

"Well, thanks Axel-sama. We've got to get going, so I'll see you around."

"Now if only they would just let me bite just one neck…" Axel mumbled to himself as he walked away.

"Should we worry about him?" Riku asked as they proceed to the door at the end of the hallway.

"Nah," Kairi answered, "he's always been sarcastic, ever since I met him a few years ago when daddy asked for his help in his research."

"That really wasn't what I was talking about," Riku replied, watching over Sora carefully as Kairi unlocked the office door.

"Then what were you talking about?" she asked, opening the door and turning on the lights.

The room was white, like a normal doctor's office. The only strange thing about the room was the map of the city on the wall behind the desk with large X's on it to mark areas with large amounts of rouge vampire activity. The bright lights reflecting off the wall caused Sora to blink a few times.

"Never mind," Riku said. "Now you go and get checked like you promised."

"Okay, okay," Kairi answered. "I'll meet you at your house tomorrow before school, Riku," she turned to Sora, "Good night Sora."

"Night Kairi," Sora replied as she closed the door.

A strange silence fell over the two friends remaining in the room.

"So," Riku sighed, "how long do you intend to keep hiding it from her?"

"Hide what?" Sora replied, a nervous chuckle choking up in his throat.

"She'd accept you for what you became," Riku continued, unchanging at Sora's questioning.

"What are you talking about Riku? Sora responded, feeling more afraid with each passing second.

In one swift move, Riku had Sora pinned against the closest wall with one hand. "You can't fool me, Sora." He ripped at the cloth around Sora's neck to reveal what was, or in this case, what wasn't there. "Funny, I could've sworn that there was a cut here, but there's nothing now." Riku released Sora, having finally getting his point across.

"How did you know?" Sora questioned, unfazed at the fact that Riku had just attacked him.

"I suspected something when you said that you didn't like the _scent_ of blood," he explained, keeping his distance from Sora. "But it was so obvious when Axel came up to us and recognized you even though you never met him before."

Sora looked away, clearly ashamed at being found out. "I didn't choose to become this way."

"It's a wonder Kairi didn't notice," Riku stated. "She's been studying all this ever since you left."

"You're not going to tell her, are you?" he asked, his eyes open wide in fear.

"Even if she knew," Riku explained, "she'd accept you for who you are. It won't matter to her if you've become—"

"That's the thing Riku, I don't want her to find out," Sora pleaded, falling to his knees. "I don't want her to get wrapped up in the situation. I don't want either of you to get involved…"

"Get involved in what?" Riku questioned, surprised at the fact that his best friend was crumbling to pieces in front of him.

Luckily for Sora, a knock came at the door, giving him a temporary escape from answering the question Riku imposed on him.

"Okay," Prof. Kaito declared as he walked through the door, "who is this friend my darling daughter told me about?" The professor slid the pen he was writing with behind his ear and adjusted his glasses before looking in Riku's and Sora's direction.

The wooden clipboard the professor was holding slipped from his hands, landing with a small thud as it clattered against the ground.

"What are you doing back so soon Sora?" Kaito asked. "Did you find who did it?"

* * *

What happens next? Find out in the next chapter: **UNEXPLAINED RECOGNITION**.

Please review! Me like reviews!


	2. Unexplained Recognition

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

_Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. Vampires bring them together again, but it also tears them apart. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives. _

_

* * *

_

**2. UNEXPLAINED RECOGNITION  
~Kotobani Naranai Kimochi~**

Lying awake in my bed, I wondered what the other two were doing at the Sora okay? And was Riku getting along with him the way they had a year ago? Were they talking about me at the moment? If so, what are they saying about me? Would Riku talk kindly about me? Or would he mention all the stupid mistakes I've been making? What would Sora think if he heard all that stuff?

What does Sora think about me? My cheeks turned hot at this thought and I pulled my blue polka-dotted blanket up to cover my face.

What does Sora think of me? He must like me or else he wouldn't have…

I touched my lips, remembering the joy that rose inside me when his lips were pressed against mine. My cheeks flushed even brighter in the darkness of my room. Sleep slowly started to fill my eyes as I pushed the memory away.

We've been friends since we were little. That's all we're going to ever be, no matter how much I desire for more.

With a loud yawn, I closed my eyes as I slid the blanket below my chin, embracing a good night's sleep in my arms.

-----

Fully awake and unscathed from last night's run-in with a Renegade, Kairi bounced along the sidewalk, a light air in each step as she swung her school bag back and forth. When she reached Riku's house, she knocked on the door in a specialized pattern for that Thursday morning and then unlocked the door with her copy of his house key.

"You're sure in a great mood this morning," Riku commented from the kitchen table as she walked in.

"Really?" She took her normal seat on the stool next to the kitchen island as she watched Riku finish his breakfast. "I can't quite figure out why I'm so happy."

"Isn't it because Sora's back?" he smartly answered, getting up and placing his dirty dishes in the sink and running water over them.

Kairi felt her cheeks grow warm again at the mention of Sora's name. Refraining from holding her hands to her face, she questioned Riku, "How did things go last night? Is Sora okay?"

Riku paused, the soapy sponge suspended in air as he recalled that short conflict between Sora and Professor Kaito that he witnessed last night before he was quickly dismissed from the room.

-----

"What are you doing back Sora?" Prof. Kaito asked. "Did you find out who did it?"

"…No," was the only answer Sora came up with after an extended period of silence.

"Then why are you back?" Kaito replied, his voice hinting at slight hysteria. "I thought you weren't to return unless you find out who murdered Kairo!"

"I know," Sora responded. He appeared like a small child getting scolded. His fist trembled slightly at his side, a sign of holding back his fear.

"Then why did you come back?!" Kaito shot back, his chest rising and dropping heavily.

"I have a good reason, but…"

"But what?" His glasses were sliding off the bridge of his nose, balancing precariously between smashing into tiny pieces on the ground and remaining safely on his nose.

Sora turned to Riku, his fist vibrating with a bit more strength. "Riku, I think it would best if you left."

"But, Sora, I can't…"

"Riku," Kaito interrupted, adjusting his glasses, "this matter doesn't concern you. Please, take your leave."

Knowing better than to fight a losing battle, Riku headed for the door, hoping to hear more of the conversation. But the other two remained silent and Riku closed the door behind him in disappointment.

-----

"Riku? Riku, are you okay?" Kairi's voice broke his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

"Sorry," he apologized, finishing up the plate he had in hand and running it under water. "I spaced out for a bit, but yeah, Sora seemed okay."

"Do you think that he's gonna come to school with us?"

"Dunno," he answered, drying his hands on a towel. He glanced over at the clock on the stove. "It's 7:10 already?" He grabbed his school supplies and slid on his shoes. "We better get going before they get too far ahead of us."

------

"Why are you guys so late?" Kaito asked as Kairi and Riku arrived at the clinic.

"Sorry daddy," Kairi answered. "Won't happen again."

"You're feeling okay, right?" The professor questioned, doing a visual check over of his daughter. "You didn't get hurt last night, did you?"

"Daddy, I'm fine," she declared, wriggling out of her father's grip. "But I was wondering if Sora was okay."

Her father looked startled for a second, but quickly regained his composure. "Sora, huh? He's checked out okay as of last night."

"Is he going to go to school with us?" she asked eagerly.

Hesitant to answer, Kaito remained silent, causing Kairi's hopes started to fall.

"Of course I'm coming to school with you guys," Sora answered, emerging from the shadows of the hallway. "I've been gone for a whole year, there's no way I'm letting the two of you go ahead without me. Gotta make sure that you both aren't doing something behind my back."

"What do you mean?" both Kairi and Riku asked, completely unsure what Sora was getting at.

Walking over to Kairi, Sora drew her face close to his, placing his fingertips on her lips. "You didn't forget did you, Kairi?" he said in a low and husky voice not like himself.

His breath warm against her cheek and neck, Kairi struggled to find an answer. All she could think of was whether Sora was going to kiss her again or not.

"Sora," Kaito said, breaking the intense atmosphere, "I would advise you to rethink your actions."

Letting go of Kairi, Sora turned to the professor, knowing that it was his actions toward Kairi that he was reprimanding. "I'm sorry. I was stepping out of line. I'll return to my room."

After recovering herself, Kairi stepped forward. "Daddy, you can't make Sora stay here!"

"Don't worry about me," Sora stated, seeming like himself again.

"Listen to him honey," her father said. "And he'll go with you tomorrow to get his classes scheduled. I just want Sora to rest for a day before doing anything."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Kaito agreed before turning to Sora. "I want to discuss a few things with you, Sora."

"We should get going," Riku declared, slinging his school bag over his shoulder. "Naminé and the rest are waiting for us to escort them to school."

-----

"You know we're going to be late," Roxas remarked as Riku and Kairi walked out the side doors to meet a group of three.

"Did something happen to you guys?" Naminé asked as the pair approached them.

"Sorry," Kairi apologized. "I had to find out if Sora was coming to school with us today. I kinda held us up."

"What are you talking about?" Roxas replied. "Sora's not here. I know that for a fact."

"Well, you must be talking about a different Sora," Riku retaliated. "The Sora we know is here. At the research center."

"I'm telling you," Roxas fought back, "That the Sora I know is the same one you know. And he couldn't possibly be alive."

"You two," Kairi intervened, "stop arguing!"

"Tell me then," Riku argued, "how do you even know Sora in the first place?"

"I'm going to get minor sunburn from being out here too long," Demyx declared, distracting the arguing pair. Everybody stared at him, to which he responded, "I've got to keep my appearance up for my adoring fans."

"We should really get going," Naminé added, hoping to relieve the tension from the situation.

"Well, then, let's go!" Kairi shouted, taking Naminé's hand and running toward the direction of the school. Demyx, holding his books over his head to shield from the sunlight, followed at a brisk pace. That left Riku behind with Roxas.

"After you," Riku offered, holding steady in the staring competition with Roxas.

"Thanks," Roxas replied coldly. "But you know," his voice softened, "Sora's gone. He was killed…right in front of my eyes." His choked up voice revealed a side of sympathy that Riku had never expected to see from him.

"You trying to make me drop my guard so you can make a meal of my blood?" Riku commented walking pass Roxas. "That won't work on me, vampire."

"Fine," Roxas answered, reverting to his usual self, "you can play it that way if you like, but I know what I saw."

-----

"You guys need to calm down and return to your classes!" Kairi shouted, standing in front of Demyx with her arms out as a barrier. "There's nothing to crowd around for!"

Even though the homeroom bell rang, the school girls stood by the entrance, waiting eagerly for their idols. Once the group had reached the school gates, it was mass hysteria as the girls pushed toward them, screaming "Demyx!", "Roxas!", and the occasional "Riku!"

"They're still here even when they should be in class," Riku observed, marching in front of the group to create a path wide enough to walk through. For some strange reason, all the girls seemed to be intimidated by Riku's presence.

"G'morning, my darling little fans," Demyx said, waving to the girls as he passed through the front doors into the high school. "I hope that you stay well."

As the doors closed behind them, Kairi let out a sigh of relief. "Why does this happen every morning?"

"Naminé," Roxas called, reaching out to her, "are you okay?" He touched her shoulder, a rare expression of tenderness on his face that he only seemed to show toward Naminé.

"I'm okay," she answered, putting her hand on top of his. "But thanks for worrying about me."

"They all look so healthy," Demyx commented wistfully. "Can't I just have one girl…?"

"Demyx-senpai," Kairi reprimanded, "what do you think you're saying?"

"I'd be careful of what you're saying, Demyx," Axel stated, appearing suddenly behind Demyx from the shadows. "You know what Kaito's cooperation plan is."

"Axel-sama!" Demyx declared, turning around quickly and dropping his head in a bow. "I apologize for stepping out of line."

"Just don't let it happen again," Axel answered coolly, proceeding down the hallways. "Kairi just let me know whenever one of these little vampires steps out of line. I'll deal with it much more harshly next time."

"Thank you Axel-sama," she said, bowing her head in thanks as the teacher walked away.

"Way to almost blow our secret," Roxas stated when Axel was out of hearing range.

"It honestly was just a joke," Demyx responded, starting down the hallway in the opposite direction. "Anyway, I'm heading to class before I'm further penalized than I already am for being late."

"Same here," Riku said, heading in the opposite direction of Demyx. "I suggest that the rest of you get going."

"You don't need to tell me that," Roxas remarked, walking in the same direction of Axel. Naminé quickly joined his side, since the two of them had the same first class.

Kairi watched the group separate, contemplating on what her real purpose at this school was. She and Riku were to keep a watch over them, making sure that no human uncovered Demyx's, Roxas', Naminé's, and Axel's true nature: that they were vampires. Her father believed that vampires could coexist with humans in everyday situations, so he asked Axel to find subject to test his hypothesis. Which explains why Kairi and Riku escorted them to and from school every day.

They were also to make sure that the vampires didn't attempt to bite anyone. It's not that hard a job, but Demyx had been tempted several times before because of the girls throwing themselves at him. Who was to blame them? It seemed to be a natural trait for vampires to be naturally drop-dead gorgeous.

The first class warning bell rang for the second time, warning Kairi to race down the hall to in order to reach her first class in time.

-----

"Roxas-senpai?" a thin quivering voice called out as Roxas walked down a outdoor hallway, which was lined with pillars on both sides, after final class let out. "Will you please accept this?"

Turning around, Roxas saw one of the school girls, his junior by a few years, holding out a letter to him, her head bowed down. _Great…another love letter…_ he thought to himself when he noticed the red heart sticker sealing the envelope. Taking the letter from her hands, he tore it in half several times, and dropped the scraps to the floor. "No," he said bluntly.

The girl's eyes trembled as the pieces of her heart fluttered to the floor, waiting for someone to trample all over them. Without a whimper, she turned and walked away, breaking into a run some distance away.

"You must be enjoying yourself," Roxas spoke loudly, eyeing the adjacent pillar. "That must be what you think my true nature is. Right, Riku?"

"On the contrary," Riku answered, stepping into view and leaning against the column, "I'm quite proud because you didn't try to drink that girl's blood."

"You're not as snide as you usually are," Roxas observed, leaning on the pillar on the side opposite Riku, creating a brick barrier between them. "Is something on your mind?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah," he replied, shifting his weight onto the other leg. "You said that you know Sora. Was that before or after he left a year ago?"

"So, you know what happened to him. Did you figure it out or did he tell you?" Roxas waited for a response, but as he knew, he didn't receive one. "I actually knew Sora before what happened."

"Do you know when it happened to him?" Riku asked.

"I knew a few days before he left…before Professor Kaito sent him off to find out who killed Kairo," he replied. "But before you say anything, I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Who's Kairo?"

"You don't know?" Roxas scoffed. "Kairo was Kaito's wife, thus making her Kairi's mother."

"Do you know who did it?"

"If I did, Sora wouldn't have been sent away," his tone softened again, "he wouldn't have gotten killed…"

"Sora was never killed," Riku retorted. "But I didn't want to ask while Kairi was around…"

"Were you afraid of hurting her feelings? She's got something for him…too bad he's gone now…"

"You say that Sora was killed and you saw it. How was he killed and by whom?"

Axel and Naminé appeared in the courtyard, waving Roxas over. Pushing himself up off the wall, Roxas, with his hands in his pockets, walked over to Riku first, telling him, "Wouldn't you like to know?" and then left, joining his kind.

-----

"_Tadaima_," Kairi announced, walking into her father's clinic with Demyx, whom she was guarding over as he practiced with his band in the school auditorium. Even though it isn't a public practice, the school girls somehow found their way in.

"I thought today's practice fell short of our normal standards," Demyx stated, placing his guitar beside him as he sunk into a worn chair. "That isn't good for our performance in a few days." Not only does Demyx play the guitar, he also writes the songs and sings lead vocals.

"I thought you guys sounded just fine," Kairi replied, peering down the hallways, looking for someone.

"What are you talking about?" Demyx argued. "I couldn't even hear myself over all the screaming."

"Well, maybe you should tell the girls to leave the auditorium so you can practice," she answered. "Where's Riku? He's supposed to tell me if we've got to work tonight."

"You're finally home, Kairi," her father shouted, walking out of one of the rooms reserved for vampires.

"Yeah, I'm home," she answered, wondering whose room her father was just in. _That's not Axel-sama's room? His is in the other hallway. Roxas' and Naminé's are on the other side of that hallway. Demyx's is near Axel-sama's. We don't have any other resident vampires than them, right?_

"Kairi, I want you to brief Sora on what you and Riku do during your job," the professor told her as he closed the door. "I don't want him sent out there without knowing how to protect himself…or you for that matter," he added ominously.

"You mean that Sora's coming with me and Riku on patrol tonight?" she said, unsure whether to be happy or worried about this.

"Tomorrow night," he replied. "I want you to rest tonight."

"Does that mean Sora's also joining our team?"

He stopped walking, a few feet away from Kairi. "I'm not sure. I guess you can say that tomorrow's sort of a trial test."

-----

"G'morning Sora," Kairi greeted, walking to her usual morning stop with Riku. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Mornin' Riku, Kairi," he answered, adjusting his uniform's necktie. "I'm fine, thanks."

"You sure you're ready to face the sunlight?" Riku questioned, glancing out the glass doors at the bright morning sun.

"I think I'll manage," Sora replied. "I took the medications that Professor recommended."

"You mean those tablets?"

"Yeah, those," he answered, looking away as if he was ashamed for having to take the tablets.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kairi asked, looking at them. "Are you sick, Sora?"

"I'll leave you two be, in case someone decides to get something off their chest…" Riku said, looking at the two of them.

Worried, Kairi thought Riku was speaking about her. She knew he knew, or at least suspected, her feelings toward Sora. It would've been great to tell Sora how she felt, but was now the right time?

Sora, the one whom Riku was actually speaking to, looked at him. He wasn't ready to tell Kairi what was eating away at him to hide from her because it was safer to keep her in the dark, or away from it.

"…but don't take long. We've got to escort the others to school," Riku added as he closed the door.

The two faced each other, both saying the other's name at the same time.

"Sora, I want to…"

"Kairi, there's something you need to know," Sora interrupted, taking her hand in his. "It's the reason why I left a year ago…"

Taking a deep breath, Kairi braced herself. She had always wondered why Sora had taken off so suddenly. Too excited about his return, she never had thought about the reason why he left or came back.

"A couple days before I left," Sora began, "something happened…something horrible. So horrible that your father advised me to leave for your protection."

"My protection?" she questioned.

"My family was targeted and attacked by—"

"SORA!" stopped him from finally telling Kairi as Naminé opened the door. "You're here! I can't believe you're here!"

"Naminé?" Sora called upon hearing a distantly familiar voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" she answered, hugging Sora tightly around his neck. "Wait till Roxas finds out you're really here!"

"Roxas is here?"

"Yes," she answered, letting go of his neck and dragging him by the wrist out the doors. "Demyx is here too."

Kairi watched as the door closed behind Sora and Naminé. She began to wonder what the relationship between them was. _They seem really close, but they're nothing more than friends, right? But they…_

"Yo, Kairi!" Demyx called from the open door. "I think that you should really get out here!"

Allowing for her thoughts to figure themselves out, Kairi found Riku restraining Roxas, who was struggling to break free. Sora was sitting on the ground, his hand rubbing the side of his head, and Naminé sitting beside him. From this information, she presumed that Roxas assaulted Sora for some reason she was going to find out.

"Roxas, what did you do that for?" Naminé asked, helping Sora to his feet. "Why did you just punch Sora?"

"That isn't Sora!" he answered, looking vehemently at the boy he didn't want to recognize. "He isn't Sora! Sora is gone…he's gone!"

"Roxas, this is Sora," Demyx stated, "His chemical make-up is the same."

"It isn't him," Roxas argued, struggling less with every passing second. "Sora was killed. I saw it happen…I know it happened."

"We all saw it happen," Naminé consoled him, touching his arm gently, "but we should be happy that he's here with us now."

Sora knelt beside Naminé and told Riku to let Roxas go. Falling to the ground listlessly, Roxas remained on the ground, bent over.

"Roxas, I'm glad that I can see you again," Sora said, offering his hand to help him up. Roxas looked up, anger burning in his eyes. He slapped away the helping hand and got up.

"I still don't believe you," Roxas said as he grabbed his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I think we should get going. We're already late as it is."

"That's a good idea," Demyx stated, following Roxas toward the school.

Naminé followed as Sora slowly got up on his feet. Kairi stepped beside him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, though his tone noted otherwise. "I guess I really don't blame him for not believing me."

"Why?" Kairi asked. "How do you two know each other?"

"Kairi, Sora," Riku called, starting toward the school, "we need to make sure that no one attacks them three."

"Attack?" Sora questioned. "We are going to _school_, right?"

Kairi and Riku looked at each other, recalling that it was Sora's first day, and smiled.

"You've got a lot to learn when dealing with the vampire business," Riku stated, a smug smirk on his face. "I think I'll enjoy watching this."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, keeping in pace with his friends as they hurried to catch up.

"You'll find out soon enough," Kairi answered.

-----

Once again, the screaming fan girls were lined along the pathway even though homeroom had begun. Roxas, Demyx, and Naminé waited outside the gate for Sora, Kairi, and Riku.

"It's about time you got here," Roxas coldly said as Riku started into the main grounds of the school.

"Why are you guys waiting out here?" Sora asked Naminé.

"You'll find out soon enough," Kairi answered as she followed Roxas and Demyx inside.

The wild roar that arose when Roxas and Demyx stepped on the school grounds quickly subsided as the new student passed through. All the girls started whispering to each other, their fingers pointed at Sora and their eyes constantly watching him.

"Why are they all here?" Sora asked Kairi in a low whisper. "Why do they keep looking at me like that?"

They were now approaching the school doors. The group of girls had been strangely quiet for the past minutes and didn't make a sound when the doors closed behind the group. Roxas continued to class as the rest of them stopped to converse briefly.

"I guess I'll go with him," Naminé told Sora.

"Okay," Sora replied as she ran off. A look of desolate sorrow was in his eyes as he watched Roxas.

"Sora," Kairi said, "are you okay?"

Quickly recovering, Sora smiled and answered, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm disappointed now," Demyx injected. "My fans…they didn't cheer for me today."

"Get over it," Riku replied, heading for class.

"Whatever," Demyx answered, going to his first class. "I'll see you later Kairi."

"Yeah, I'll see you afterschool." Kairi turned to Sora and gave him directions to the main office. "I would've walked with you there, but I've got to get to class."

"It's okay," he said. "I understand. I'll be able to manage from here."

"Well," she started walking backwards toward her class. "I guess I'll see you later after school."

"See ya later," he called after her.

-----

At his usual after school waiting spot, Roxas paced along the column-lined hallway. Sunlight settled on his honey-colored hair as he paused from his walking. "I know you're there, so…"

Sora stepped out from the shadows, a shy 'you-got-me' smile on his lips. "You always knew when I was around."

Roxas leaned against the pillar. "Problems is…you're not him."

"What makes you say that?" Sora replied, smiling as he leaned on the opposite side of the same pillar as Roxas.

"Because…" Roxas answered stoically, "…I killed you…with my own hands…"

* * *

*dramatic music plays* Roxas killed Sora? How could that happen? How will Sora's first night as a _Renegade_ hunter go? And what is this about tablets that Sora has to take? What is he hiding from them? Find out in the next chapter: **A False First Taste ~ Akai Tsumi~**

For those without much Japanese, _tadaima_ is what people normally say when they come home.

So, please leave reviews!!!


	3. A False First Taste

don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

_Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. Vampires bring them together again, but it also tears them apart. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives. _

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* * *

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3. A FALSE FIRST TASTE  
f~Akai Tsumi~

_Roxas and Sora seem to have a close friendship, even though they seem at odds right now. I wonder how long they've known each other. How Sora knows Roxas and the rest of them. They're vampires whereas he's not._

_Even though Roxas and them are vampires, they don't seem any different than me or Riku. I'd say they're practically just like us, except for that acquired thirst for blood. But other than that, they seem like civilized people capable of interaction with the human world. _

_I can't say the same for the _Renegades_. They're unfortunate people who have been bitten by _Superiors_ and left to die or be turned into a bloodthirsty creature by vampire poison. They begin as ordinary vampires without any kind of powers, according to my father, but they eventually fall to this level and being a non-stop killing rampage. That is why Riku and I hunt and eliminate them. To keep the human population safe. _

_And tonight, Sora's joining our team, or so I hope. I'm excited, but also afraid at the same time. I don't want Sora to get hurt._

-----

"Are you sure that he's up to this?" Riku asked the professor as they watched Kairi prep Sora on their nightly missions. "With him being a…you know…"

"So, you've figured it out, huh?" Kaito responded, not startled by Riku's knowledge of Sora's secret. "I think he'll be fine…as long as his body accepts the medication."

"What do you mean?" Riku questioned. _Does that mean Sora's body won't…because he's been made into…instead of being born…_

"Kairi! Are you okay?"

Riku and Kaito looked over in Kairi's direction at the sound of Sora's shout.

"What happened?" said Kaito in an urgent voice. "Did you get hurt, Kairi?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Kairi stated, pulling her finger out from her mouth. "My hand just slipped on the blade of this sword. I'm okay. See?" She held out her finger to show that she was alright.

Sora saw a drop of blood form on her finger and an uncontrollable thirst took over. He heard a pulsing beat run through his head, telling him to satisfy his lust. Struggling to fight it, Sora fell over on his knees, whispering to himself as he shook with fear uncontrollably.

Professor Kaito saw immediately what was happening to Sora and quickly left the room to get something.

"Sora," Kairi automatically asked him, "what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," he answered through his difficult breathing. "Just stay back…stay back…be safe…"

"Be safe from what?"

"Kairi," Riku said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "listen to him. Do what he says and don't question him."

Kairi silently obeyed and stepped back, restraining herself from rushing to Sora's side. Professor returned with a glass filled with bubbling water, handing it to Sora, who quickly quaffed the drink. As the liquid flowed through his system, his breathing returned to normal and the hunger slowly disappeared. Kaito, when seeing that Sora was okay, stepped back after helping him to his feet.

"He's okay now," Professor announced, turning to face the other two. "He just forgot to take his medication and his body reacted violently, but he should be fine now."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kairi asked, gingerly touching his shoulder. "Can you come with us tonight?"

"Yeah," Sora answered. "I can."

"We should get going then," Riku stated. "It's already getting late."

"Riku's right," Kaito agreed, handing his daughter a manila envelope, much like the other night's. "Recent reports show that _Renegade_ vampire activity has been increasing daily over the past few days. We need to stop this before it gets out of hand."

"So basically," Riku concurred, "kill off all the _Renegades _we can find tonight."

"That's a crude way of putting it," Kaito commented, "but that's pretty much it."

"Alright," Riku answered, reaching over and grabbing _Way to Dawn_. He checked to see that it was loaded and hitched it into the protector.

Kairi pulled her _Flowering Strength_ off the wall. After checking it over quickly, she collapsed it and tucked it away.

"Sora," Kaito addressed, handing him the sword that Kairi was handling earlier, "this is your weapon. If I recall correctly, you do have experience with handling a sword, right?"

"Yeah," he answered, looking over the gilded handle. "Riku and I used to spar all the time when we were little."

"I was usually the one who won," Riku commented.

"I did win a couple of times," Sora remarked.

"Only a _few_ times."

"Don't get such a big head, Riku," Sora argued, much like a little child. "If you were so great, then why didn't you take it?"

"I tried," he replied darkly, "but it rejected me as its owner."

"Rejected?"

"It's a rumor that each anti-vampire weapon chooses its owner," Professor Kaito explained. "We don't quite understand why this phenomena happens, even though we forged these weapons ourselves."

"That is strange," Sora commented.

"Well, that is because the metal that you received is highly selective of its master," Axel elucidated, walking into the room with an air of confidence. "That metal is a creation of our race. It can synchronize with the mind of the wielder and determines their physical ability as well as their mental status."

"So, you're saying, Axel-sama," Sora thought aloud, "that these weapons are alive and have a mind of their own?"

"In a sense," Axel replied, pacing around the dimly lit room. "Anyone could handle the weapon, but only one person would be able to efficiently use the weapon to its fullest potential." He paused, glancing briefly at each of the three teenagers. "That's why Kairi possesses her _Flowering Strength_, Riku wields his gun_ Way to Dawn_, and now you…_The Keyblade_ is your weapon."

"Mine?" he questioned, baffled at why he would wield _The Keyblade_, a strange weapon with the teeth of a key forged on one side while the other was a sharp edge.

"This sword, unlike the weapons Kairi, Riku, and the others have, was made by the hands of our kind. It is more selective than the rest, desiring an exceptionally strong body, heart, and will."

"So you're saying that I have a strong body, heart, and will?"

"Not me," Axel answered, "the weapon…_The Keyblade_."

Sora took a moment to allow everything to sink in. Was there a hidden reason to why he was chosen? Was his life going to change after he accepted his new duty? Was this all leading up to a final battle with _him_?

"The hilt is the only part of this sword that we can touch that won't do us any harm," Axel pointed out, touching the hilt himself. "I'd be careful with this if I were you." Changing the topic, he turned toward the Professor. "Kaito, I wish to discuss something with you."

"Concerning what?" Kaito asked.

"Roxas requested something of me," Axel answered, "but it's not really my territory to answer. It's something that needs to be answered by you."

"Roxas?" Sora turned at the sound of the _Noble_-ranking vampire's name. "What did Roxas want?"

"Sora, you should leave with Kairi and Riku while Axel and I confer over this," Kaito answered.

"But…"

"Sora," Axel interrupted, "this doesn't concern you at the moment. Go and fulfill your mission." Axel's eyes glowed a pale red, boring into Sora's.

"_Hai_," he found himself saying, as if something was manipulating him. He wanted to stay and argue, but an unnatural force was controlling him. Realizing that the force was because of Axel's status as a _Superior_ vampire, he felt chills run through his body from recalling his previous encounter with a _Superior_.

That was a dark chilling night when he first encountered _him_, a memory deeply embedded into him.

He then heard an unknown voice command him to leave the room and join Kairi and Riku, who were waiting for him in the adjacent hallway. There was something about the tone of the voice that compelled him to obey. It was soft and calm, but also at the same time, firm and commanding.

_This is the same power that he had,_ Sora concluded as he walked into the hallway. _The same power that Xemnas possessed_.

The hallway was dimly lit and Riku and Kairi were conversing under a flickering fluorescent light. Riku made Kairi laugh and she brushed her hair behind her left ear, exposing the flesh of the nape of her neck. The same uncontrollable thirst overcame him, the pulse beating throughout his mind, like a drum, pounding faster and faster as his heart began to race. Axel's spell upon him had broken, but when he was consumed by hunger, another different voice commanded him. This voice, though calm in the same manner of the other, showed a darker shade of ominousness.

"Take her," it ordered. "Capture the daughter of Kairo."

He approached Kairi from behind, his eyes the color of blood under the flickering lights. Silently, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, pressing her back to his chest.

"So-Sora," Kairi stuttered, surprised by his sudden coming on to her. "What are you doing?"

Brushing her hair away from the nape of her neck, Sora lowered his lips to her skin.

_Don't!_ he silently told himself, restraining himself from opening his mouth. _I can't! Not to anyone! Not to Kairi!_

"Do it!" that voice commanded, the sound pounding through his ears.

He lost control of his body and opened his mouth, licking the skin of her flesh. An ecstatic sensation flooded his system, urging his body to continue. Whether he had lost control to the commanding voice or to this feeling of his own body, he couldn't determine at this point.

"S-Sora," Kairi stammered, her breathing quickening, "what are you doing? Please stop!" She tried to pull his hands away from her waist, but they were unmoving.

Her words were a distant echo to him, ringing in the furthest corners of his humanity. After a final taste of her flesh, he was craving something more.

"I think this has gone on long enough, Sora."

This voice pulled him back into himself. Sora regained his sense of self-control and humanity. He fell to the ground, thankful to Riku for saving him from tainting his hands with sin.

"I-I'm sorry Kairi," he finally spoke after a few moments of silence.

"What was that supposed to be?" Kairi demanded after regaining her composure. "Some kind of joke?"

"Well, ah…no—" Sora stuttered, unsure of how he should answer.

"Actually, yeah it was, but like I said, Sora took it too far," Riku answered, relieving Sora of the burden.

"Is he telling the truth?" she asked, turning to Sora for an answer. "Or is _this_ the joke?"

Sora glanced at Riku, a word of silent thanks passing between them. "Sad to say, but yeah," he replied, grinning broadly, "it was a joke and we got you badly."

Kairi gave both of them a sharp knock on the head, first Riku and then Sora. "That wasn't funny, you guys. You shouldn't toy with a girl's emotions!"

"What do you mean?" Sora questioned.

"When you took me by the waist, I thought you were going to ki—" she stopped herself before she said too much and quickly changed the subject. "We should get going. It's already late and we haven't headed out to the city yet." As a rush of red colored her cheeks, Kairi started walking away before either of the boys could see. "Let's go!"

Riku leaned over to Sora. "You know, she really likes you."

"Yeah," Sora replied, "it's too bad." A flash of red showed in his eyes.

"Really?" Riku responded, surprise in his voice. "I thought that you liked her too."

"It's not the matter of whether I like her or not," Sora answered. "It's not good because…" he remembered the command to kill Kairi that controlled his body.

"Haven't you been taking the pills?" Riku asked as the two followed Kairi outside. "Those should keep the attacks under control and prolong your transformation."

"Well…" Sora hesitated to answer.

"You two better get out here!" Kairi urgently shouted through the open door. "I just heard someone scream for help!"

Riku and Sora hurried to follow Kairi, who was following the cry for help. They turned into a dark alley, a scream being fainly heard at the end of this dark corridor. Cautiously, the trio ran into the darkness. Sora soon took the lead, guiding the other two through the tangible darkness. Once they approached the origin of the cries for help, they were left at a dead end.

"I could've sworn that they would've been here," Sora said to himself. "What do you think abo—" He felt the air around him change, sensing a change in the environment. "Riku? Kairi?" No response. "Who's responsible for this?"

"We've been looking all over this flea-ridden city for you, Sora-san," a voice called out in the darkness. "Xemnas-sama has something of you that he wants."

"Why don't you cowards show yourselves?" he cried out into the night. "Or if you don't want to, you can go ahead and tell Xemnas to come face me himself!"

"Are you sure you want that?" A pale white figure appeared suddenly before Sora's eyes. Her fangs were bared, glistening in the sickly moonlight. A malicious look dressed her face and her eyes glowed crimson. Her night black hair stood wildly atop her head, pointing out in random directions. "My companions captured your two friends. Do you really want us to leave with the two of them?"

"Why involve the two of them? It's me that you want. Let them go!" he pleaded aggressively. "Don't involve them because of me. Let 'em go!"

"Why should I listen to you?" the female vampire responded. Two other vampires revealed themselves from the darkness, along with Riku and Kairi, who were unconscious. A male held Kairi, a female held Riku, with both bounded by their hands and feet. The female vampire that was speaking to Sora slithered over to Kairi. "If I recall, this cute girl is the daughter of Kairo. She's also someone that Xemnas-sama is looking for."

"Get your filthy hands off of her," Sora ordered, his _Keyblade_ appearing in his outstretched hand. He didn't know exactly why or how he knew how to summon it, but it felt natural, like how to breathe or to walk. "Let her go."

"What about this boy? Don't you care about your little friend here?" the pale woman commented, walking over to Riku. "He really does look tasty and it doesn't seem that he's anyone important." She drew her dark lips close to Riku's, but then dropped her head to his neck. "I am hungry."

Sora pointed the sword to her neck, threatening to take her head if she went any further. "Leave them out of this."

Before the next second passed, all three vampires surrounded Sora, fangs bared and ready to plunge. As they rushed him, Sora sunk low toward the ground and made an amazing leap into the night sky just before the three collided with each other. Sora landed on top of them, plunging his blade through two of the three. The third, the pale female who spoke to him earlier, watched in fear as her comrades dissolved into dust at the hand of Sora's anti-vampire weapon.

"You," Sora addressed the remaining one, "I spared you for a reason." His eyes glowed an ominous red and his voice dropped to a low, husky, commanding level. "Go back to Xemnas and tell him to never come around here again. That is unless he wants to finish things off. I'm not running anymore. And you're not to mention Kairi to anyone."

The pale female's eyes flashed crimson from the order and she promptly left to return to the stronghold.

Sora's eyes returned to their normal dark sky blue and he dropped to the ground. The power that he unleashed took massive amounts of energy, leaving him tired to the bone and gasping for breath.

Stirring from her sleep, Kairi sat up in confusion. "What just happened?" She glanced over and saw Riku laying on the ground beside her. "Riku!" she shook him awake. "Riku, wake up!"

"Wha…what do you want Kairi?!" he answered, opening his eyes groggily. He also sat up in a daze, wondering where he was and how he got here. "What just happened, Kairi?" he asked, holding his hand to his head.

"I'm not sure," she answered, standing up and looking about her. "The last thing I remember is someone shouting form this alley for help and you, me, and Sora…Sora! Where's Sora?!"

"Kairi…Riku…" Sora groaned from the ground a few feet away, "thank God…you two are okay."

"Sora!" Kairi rushed over to his side. "Sora, answer me!"

-----

Finding himself in a brightly lit, white room back at the clinic, Sora sat up, a pain pulsing through his head. "What is this?" he asked aloud, holding his head between his knees.

"Are you okay?" Kairi questioned, standing up from her seat at Sora's bedside.

"Kairi, you're okay?" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly to his chest. "I'm glad that you didn't get hurt."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi replied. "How would've we been hurt? There was no one in that alley. We couldn't even find the person that had called for help. Riku's…"

"Where's Riku? Is Riku okay? He's not hurt, is he?" he inquired, holding Kairi at arm's length away.

"Calm down, Sora. Riku's fine," she answered, checking his forehead for a temperature. "Question is, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he responded, getting up out of bed. "See? There's nothing wrong with me."

"Thank goodness," she sighed, a sign of deep relief. "It's just that when we found you unconscious on the ground, I thought I…I lost you again…"

"Kairi…don't worry," he embraced her yet again, but this time much more closely and more intimately. "I won't leave you again. I'll stay by your side from this point on."

"Sora…" Kairi said wistfully, closing her eyes, capturing this moment of just the two of them, her heart pounding ferociously against her chest. An urge to tell Sora how she felt swelled up in her throat. "I-I want you to know something."

"What is it?" he asked, keeping his nervous voice steady as he let go of her. He didn't intend to hold her so close to him, so close to his heart that he could feel her heart beating in synch with his.

"Remember a year ago, when I asked you to meet me at the top of the hill?" Kairi paused until Sora answered with a nod. "I wanted to tell you how I felt about you…that I….I…"

"Sora," Roxas knocked at the open door, interrupting Kairi as she was about to confess, "I need to talk to you. Can I have a moment?"

"Sure," he answered, an edge of eagerness in his voice, "but can you wait there a moment? Kairi has something important she wants to tell me."

"For-forget about it," Kairi stated, taking a few steps toward the door. "It's nothing important. I'll tell you later."

"You sure?" Sora asked, a genuine tone ringing in his voice. He could read the slight fear in her eyes, the little quiver to her lip. Resisting the urge to reach out and pull her back into his arms, he reminded himself not to get too close to Kairi, not to get her too involved with him.

"Yeah, it can wait," she answered, taking a step out the room and quickly reappearing. "Sora, my dad told me to give you this for your medication." She walked back over to Sora's side and pulled out a pill. After observing the white round concentration of drugs closely for a brief moment, she placed it in Sora's open palm. "The markings on that remind me of the one on the blood tablet. Isn't that just strange…how much they look alike?"

Sora looked at the pill and then at Kairi, stunned at the connection she had make. "Yeah, isn't that funny? Because if I had to take blood tablets, that would've meant that I need to drink blood."

"And if you need to drink blood," Kairi continued, "then that would mean that you were a vampire…" She paused, thinking about the moment when Sora reacted to the sight of her blood. She shook off that thought, slightly ashamed that she'd even consider such a thought. "…and there's no way that you'd be a vampire."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Kairi," Roxas said inexpressively from the door, "but I would really like a word with Sora."

"Oh, _gomen_," she replied, starting out of the room. She paused at the door and turned to Sora. "Don't stress your body too much, 'kay?" she told him, a worried tone filling her voice. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Alright Kairi," he answered. "I'll see you and Riku tomorrow morning for school."

"_Oyusami._"

"_Oyusami_," he said after her as she left the room. He looked down at the pill in his hand, knowing that it would hold no effect over him, and placed it on the table.

"It seems that your body won't accept them," Roxas noted. "It also seems like she's in love with you."

Shaking the red color that arose in his cheeks, Sora turned away from his companion. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Why are you here?" Roxas questioned again.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't be here unless someone…I…I killed you with my own hands…pierced you through your heart…even though I didn't want to…there was blood all over my hands…we left you without breath…you couldn't have survived all that…there's no way you could…" Roxas was breathing heavily as he tried to explain to Sora his thoughts.

Sora took his friend's head in his hands, drawing Roxas close to him. "Roxas, I told you before. I can only die at the hands of one person."

"Who?" Roxas asked, his breathing back in pace. "Tell me who. I'll take them out now. I can't afford to lose you. You're the only one who understood me completely even though you were different then."

"I can't Roxas," Sora answered. "I'd put everyone in danger if I did that. You, Naminé, Demyx, Riku, Kairi…" He said that last name with a certain tenderness.

"You love her, don't you?" Roxas noticed.

"What makes you say that?" he replied, flustered at having Roxas find out.

"The way you say her name," Roxas pointed out. "There's a different between how you say her name compared to the rest of us. There's a softness that you add to her name. Kinda like the way I am with Nami—" He stopped abruptly, his face red because he said too much.

"Kinda like the way you're like when you're with whom?" Sora elbowed his friend in the side jokingly.

"Shut up!" His cheeks because even pinker than they had previously been. "What are you going to do about Kairi? She obviously doesn't know that you like her… or that you've become—"

"Don't say it Roxas," Sora interrupted. "It's already bad enough that I've been turned into this and that I'm falling fast. But I've tried to kill her…against my will. If she gets too close to me, who knows what _he'll_ tell me to do next?"

"Who?" Roxas asked urgently. "Who's telling you to kill Kairi? Who is he?"

Someone knocked at the wall inside the room, causing Sora and Roxas to turn toward the entrance. Professor Kaito stood at the door, watching both of them as they looked at him.

"Roxas," Kaito quietly spoke, still in the same place, "I need to speak to you. It concerns your earlier request."

"But Kaito-sensei, I—" Roxas answered, not wanting to leave Sora until he received a clear answer about the voice controlling the marionette.

"I need to speak to you now," Professor argued, a stern tone in his voice. "Besides, I believe Sora should be resting at this time."

"But—"

"Roxas," Kaito stated once more. He looked at him with an unhappy look, one that said that if Roxas didn't leave, Kaito would drag him out.

"_Hai,_" he relented, walking slowly toward the door in defeat.

As the two walked out the room, Kaito paused, his keen eyes making a quick observation. "I'd advise you to take that pill…before that hunger becomes uncontrollable," he said, closing the door behind him.

Sora, his eyes adjusted to the bleak darkness, searched the table which he placed the tablet. He picked up the white medication that was to slow his descent, looking at it with disdainful eyes. He walked into the adjacent bathroom, turning on the dim lights, and glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

He hated his reflection…no, he loathed it. It was the same face from over a year ago, but during that year, it grew evil and ugly. His skin, though it showed a youthful glow, was pale, white and cold to his touch. His eyes, though still blue like the promising sky, became red with an unquenchable thirst. His entire being was mocking him as he looked at himself.

Then his eyes rested on the pill in his hands.

How he wanted to smash the mirror into a million miniscule fragments, laying on the tiled floor. To smash his reflection. To smash his current existence.

"I can't take this anymore!" he cried to himself, pounding his fist against the bathroom countertop. "Why must I continue living like this?"

"Don't say things like that!" a voice stated.

Sora looked into the mirror and saw Kairi standing at the doorway, her hands held together over her chest. "Kairi!" he said, turning his head toward the door.

"Don't say hurtful things like that about yourself," Kairi repeated, walking slowly toward him. "I told you before. I can't lose you again. I don't know what I'd do if you left me again. I don't think I can live."

"Ka…Kairi, I'm sorry," he answered, remorse lying heavily in his voice. "I didn't mean it like that. I guess I was just venting."

A moment of awkward silence fell over them. Neither one knew what to say next. Then Kairi noticed the tablet in Sora's hand.

"You still haven't taken that yet?" she questioned, taking it from him.

"I'll take it in a little bit—"

"No," Kairi rebuked, her maternal side flickering in her voice, "you should take it now." She pressed the tablet to his mouth, persuading him to open it. "Here."

Sora pushed her wrist away, afraid of the consequences. "Not now, Kairi. I can't."

"Why?" she questioned. "Are you afraid of a little tablet?"

"No, it's just that I'm supposed to take it at a cer—"

His words were cut short as Kairi placed the white medication into his mouth mid-word. As the powdery substance dissolved, the chemicals within the tablet reacted with his saliva, forming a liquid with similar properties and taste to blood. His body rejected his imitation, no matter how similar its chemical make-up was to the real thing.

But, by tasting this false blood, his heart hungered for the real thing. And the closest source was standing in front of him.

"Sora," Kairi called out, worried, "are you okay?" She grabbed his shoulders, questioning him repeatedly. "Sora, is something wrong?"

"Ka…Kairi…" his voice strained. There was no turning back. He couldn't fight his body's desire. He took hold of her shoulders, pulling her close to him, and plunged his teeth into her neck.

_So-Sora…_ Kairi thought as she felt him pierce her flesh, _Sora's a vampire…_

* * *

What happens next? Find out in the next chapter: **True First Day ~ Kyuuketsuki~**


	4. True First Day

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

Another NOTE: This chapter, to me, seems really choppy and I don't really like how it turned out at places. But I'm too lazy to do any editing, so you're stuck with this. Hope you still enjoy anyway.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. Vampires bring them together again, but it also tears them apart. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.

**

* * *

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**4. True First Day  
****~ Hitsuzen~**

I felt something sharp break my skin. Fangs….his fangs…meaning that he was a vampire.

It would explain why he had gone away for a year. He didn't want me to see him this way. He didn't want this to happen…but it did. Whether I was his first victim or not, I'm not sure, but I'm a victim nonetheless.

Sora's a vampire. I can't beli—

Ow. That was painful. He's beginning to draw blood. It really hurts, but I shouldn't scream. It would wake everyone up, or draw attention to Sora's room. No one needs to know.

No one needs to know.

"Sora," I whispered, my breath escaping my body, "please stop." I could hear my heartbeat, at first racing, but then slowly fading away. This must've been how it felt like to die.

It doesn't matter what happened to him, I'll be by his side. I won't let anyone hurt him.

Then everything went black.

-----

_Kairi… _his mind echoed as she clutched his shoulders, her questioning barely audible to him. His mind, heart, and body completely surrendered to this blood lust. This passion cried out from within his heart, ringing throughout his entire body.

He fell to the lowest status of humanity.

Sora grabbed Kairi's shoulders, his arm wound around hers, and pulled her into him, pulling her into his sinful act against his human will.

"Sora!" Kairi shouted, surprise and fear in her voice. "Are you okay?" She looked into his eyes, seeing that they were the color of blood. _It couldn't be_, she said to herself, _he couldn't have fallen prey…_

Burying his face in her neck, Sora licked the skin of Kairi's neck, tasting the warmth of her body. Her skin trembled under his touch, as if it was appalled at the creature handling it. This sent tremors of pleasure within his body.

Kairi struggled to break free of his grip, but he was too strong for her. His fingers tightened around her upper arms, as if in protest. She felt something sharp touch her flesh, sliding along as Sora moved his head to rest on her shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry," he told her, his breathing heavy. "I'm sorry, Kairi." It seemed that he regained only enough humanity to utter his apologizes as he let out a labored grunt while he moved toward her neck again.

"Sor—" her words were stopped as she stifled a cry of pain from Sora's bite.

His pure white fangs pierced her skin, causing her to grab the fabric of his shirt to quiet the pain. The faint smell of blood urged him to go deeper. He drove his fangs further into her neck, blood finally freely flowing. Finding what his body lusted for, he drank, her blood trickling down from his lips. As he drank, his heart beat in rhythm with another as the true essence of her humanity flowed into him.

"Sora," Kairi whispered, her voice dying, "please stop."

The beating of that second heart began to slow as Sora continued to drink. His sense of self returned and he realized that he had taken too much blood at one time. If he took anymore…Kairi could lose her life.

He withdrew his fangs and she fell dead in his arms.

"I…I didn't…" he stuttered, hugging her close to his blood-stained cheek. As he sat still, a faint warm breath brushed across his cheek.

"She's alive," he whispered excitedly, wiping at the tears and blood on his cheeks. "I didn't…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence because of the shame he felt brewing inside him. He looked at her neck, observing the deep bit wounds in her neck, a trail of blood sliding down her throat. Getting up, he walked out of the room, carrying her limp body in his arms as he licked the blood of her skin.

-----

Sunlight penetrated through the narrow opening between her blinds, dancing across Kairi's face as she stirred in her sleep.

"Please…stop," she whispered, drawing her fingers around her neck, tossing her head from side-to-side. "Please," her voice became louder and more frantic, "Sora, don't!"

She sat up, her hands holding her neck as her eyes opened wide with fear. Her breathing difficult and heavy, Kairi looked around the familiar surroundings of her room. She glanced across the room, catching her scared expression in the mirror directly across from her. The star-scattered blanket slid off her bed and fell onto the soft carpet as she got up from her bed to walk over to look at her reflection.

"Was it all a dream?" she questioned her likeness. She stared at it, noticing the plain tan bandage that was on the left side of her neck, in the exact spot where Sora had earlier bitten her. Her fingers trembled as she pulled off the bandage and she caught her breath when she saw the deep bite mark on her neck.

The house was silent to this point and Kairi heard the door open downstairs. She opened her bedroom door, wondering who would come over to her home so early in the morning.

"Kairi? Are you awake yet?" It was Riku's voice.

"Yeah," she answered, glancing at the time. She had gotten up much later than she normally would. This would've been the time she met up with Riku at his house. "Give me five minutes and I'll be right down!"

-----

"Why did you stay in bed so late this morning?" Riku questioned, concern deep in his voice. His silver-blue hair swept over his bright blue eyes as he watched Kair's face contort to an undecided expression. "Is it something you can't talk to me about?"

"No, no. It's not about that," Kairi answered quickly, the contents of her school bag rattling as she waved her hands in protest. "I was thinking about something…Anyway, I didn't wake up this morning until just before you came over."

"Why?" he asked, slinging his bad over his shoulder. "Did you not sleep well last night?"

After taking a moment to recall last night's events, Kairi replied, "I don't know. Last night felt like a dream that I couldn't wake up from. And when I did, it felt all too real." Her eyes clouded over with thought.

"What was it about?" he responded, regretting it when he noticed how she wrapped her arms around her waist. He fought the urge to reach out and pull her into his chest in order to comfort her. It seemed to him that the girl walking beside him would fall apart because of the emotions swirling inside of her. "So, ah…" he mumbled, searching for another topic of conversation, "what did you do to your neck?"

"Huh?" she replied, a break in her previous behavior. "What do you mean?"

"That bandage around your neck," he pointed out. "What did you do to your neck?"

Trying to figure out whether last night was a dream or an actual moment in time or not, Kairi kept her eyes directed in front of her, realizing for the first time how far they had traveled. She saw her group of vampire friends, all talking to each other in a hushed murmur.

Sora stood at the far end of the group, away from her. He glanced up for a passing second, his blue eyes drilling into hers, and then he turned the other direction. Kairi noticed the deep sorrow buried in his eyes, a sorrow so deep that she couldn't fathom its origin. But the fact was she had an idea for the reason behind the pain in his eyes…

"Kairi? What's wrong?" asked Riku, his hand resting on her shoulder after a mental debate with himself whether it was a sensible idea or not. His heart had won the battle in with his mind in the end.

"Huh?" Kairi said, shaking her head to tear her eyes away from the expression of solitude on Sora's face. "Oh. My neck," her voice seemed distant and far. "I was running through the woods last night and a branch nicked my neck. Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Riku noticed how Kairi was strangely watching Sora, her eyes full of concern and confusion. This concern meant she lied to him; that she wasn't okay and something of major importance was weighing down her mind. _Now wouldn't be the best time to ask her, _he thought to himself. He made a metal note to ask her about it later.

"You guys are actually on time for once," Roxas commented rudely, his back toward the two. "What a surprise."

"Roxas, don't be mean," Naminé scolded, hitting him in the back of the head before turning to Kairi. Her voice changed to an airy tone. "Morning Kairi. Riku."

"Good morning everyone," Kairi answered, her voice bright and cheery, unlike the cloudy gray sky above them. "Let's get going so we could actually get to school on time."

No one gave a verbal response. Demyx didn't even complain about how the light reflecting from the clouds, unusually bright, irritated his skin. Everybody walked to school in complete and uncomfortable silence.

"What's wrong with everyone?" Kairi asked Naminé, her mind numb from the silence. "Why is everyone so quiet this morning?"

Naminé glanced around her, meeting the eyes of each of the other vampires, as if she wanted approval to answer the question. Her eyes turned to Sora, but he turned the other direction before she could meet his eyes. Hesitating for a brief moment to figure out her thoughts, Naminé spoke softly and quickly, her words disappearing into the wind as soon as they left her lips.

"What?" Kairi questioned, straining to catch the fluttering words from the breeze. "I can't hear you."

Taking a deep breath, Naminé repeated her previous statement, only a little louder. "Last night, we smelled blood…human blood."

Feeling her muscles tighten, Kairi forced her body to proceed forward without stopping. She commanded her face to remain blank, afraid of revealing a secret that the group didn't even know about yet. "Oh," she said, her voice void of any emotion, "what happened next?"

"Simple…we wanted to know who's blood it was," she answered, her fist shaking violently at her side. "All of us haven't tasted human blood - or real blood in general - for a long time, so the smell overwhelmed us. But before anyone of us could track down where it came from, it disappeared. We still haven't figured out whose blood it was."

"Cut the vampire talk," Sora interrupted, his harsh voice holding a parallel to the conversation. "We're already at the school gates."

"Time to meet my adoring fans," Demyx announced, following Riku, who took his usual place at the head of the group. Demyx appeared back to his usual airheaded self, a definite contrast to his attitude of the earlier morning.

The others seemed to returned to their usual demeanors. Roxas had on his slightly irritated scowl as he continued through the sea of girls, holding his school books up to one ear in an attempt to block out their fan girl screams. Naminé trailed a half step behind him, her fingers just barely holding onto Roxas' free hand. She smiled like the sunshine, ignoring the disapproving looks and glares behind her.

Only Sora didn't snap out of his morning gloom. His blue eyes were dimly clouded over, downcast as emotions swirled around inside his head. He stared at the ground as he followed Roxas and Naminé.

Kairi stepped in line behind the rest of them, the volume of the crowd nothing to her ears. She watched Sora's movements carefully as they entered the school building.

"Sora," Riku spoke as the doors closed behind him, "do you know where you're going around the school?"

"Yeah," he answered, a small grin playing in his lips, "I'll be fine. I'm gonna head off now, in case if I get lost, I won't be late." He waved goodbye to everyone weakly before turning into the hallway.

"I'll go watch over him," Roxas stated once Sora was out of hearing range. When he took a step forward, he noticed the bandage on Kairi's neck and made a mental note of it.

But he wasn't the only one to notice. Demyx caught the momentary glance in Roxas' eyes and his eyes flickered to Kairi's neck.

"Thanks, Roxas," Kairi said as he finally walked past her.

"Hey Kairi," Demyx announced, draping his arm around her shoulders, "I need to talk to you. Do ya mind?" He paused briefly, but not long enough to allow her time for a response. "Great. C'mon," he pulled her along and Kairi followed without much struggle.

"You better behave, Demyx," Riku shouted after him, his voice bouncing off the smooth walls of the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah," he answered, taking an abrupt turn into another hallway to put himself and Kairi out of Riku's line of vision. After a few steps, Demyx eased his hold on Kairi's shoulders. "I guess Naminé told you about what happened last night."

Her body tensed when she related Naminé's account to her own experience. It was her blood that they smelled last night, her blood that they had all lusted for, her blood that Sora thirsted and craved for.

"So," Demyx said, interrupting her thoughts to a frozen expression on her face, "did Sora tell you how your blood tasted?"

"What are you talking about?" Kairi retaliated, trying not to let much emotion escape the lines of her face.

"Those bite marks on the left side of your neck," he answered, holding the bandage between his two fingers as proof of his victory.

Kairi reached up to touch her neck, caught off guard. "How did you…" she eyed the smug smile on his face. "That doesn't mean that Sora did it. All this," she fingered the deep wounds, "proves that I was bitten by a vampire. It could've been anyone. A _Renegade_, even."

"I don't think so," Demyx answered, drawing closer to her. "We didn't hear any screaming last night. Considering how deep those are, someone had to have bitten you pretty hard."

"Like I said, anyone."

"Anyone?" he responded in a questioning tone. "Or just Sora?"

Kairi didn't show any sign of reaction, keeping her face as blank as it was possible at the moment. Demyx didn't need to know how right he had been.

"Well," he said after a challenging moment of complete silence, "I'm going to class. I'll see you after school." He started away, but turned around to briefly advise her to cover the bite marks before people began to question her about them.

-----

Closing the metal door of her locker, Kairi hugged her school books close to her chest, taking deep breaths. The nurse nearly caught on when she went to the office to ask for something to cover the wound on her neck. At least now, people wouldn't be able to see _his_ mark on her.

"Sora," she whispered quietly to herself as she walked to her first class, AlgebraIII.

She desperately wanted to learn more about what had recently happened. For how long had he been a vampire? How did it happen? Why didn't he tell her? Did Riku and her father know about this?

"Kairi," Taka-sensei, her first mod math teacher, cleared his throat, "would you care to take a seat so I can begin class?"

"Oh, _hai_!" she answered, bowing her head apologetically. Fighting the red color coming to her cheeks, Kairi commenced to take a seat toward the exact middle of the room.

Today was the first day she noticed the empty seat beside her. She stared at the empty chair beside her, wondering how long had she been without a neighbor. It had to have been today, or at least recently. There was no way she wouldn't have noticed this earlier.

"Now," Taka-sensei announced in his loud but clear voice, "I'd like to introduce our new addition to the class. Sora, you can come in now."

Kairi's body stiffened at the sound of his name. She honestly had not expected to see him until the end of the day. She didn't want to see him yet, not until she had time to figure out what she was going to say to him.

"_Ohayou gozaimasu_," he said, his voice a heart-melting melody. "My name is Sora and I'm pleased to be in your class."

A brief paused followed as all the students – male and female alike – except for Kairi held their breath while gazing at the gorgeous boy standing at the front of the room. A couple sighs could be heard as a few girls recognized Sora as the new student from yesterday.

"Sora," Taka-sensei was the one to break the silence, "you can take a seat in the empty desk beside Kairi."

"What? Me?!" she blurted out, now realizing what the purpose of the empty desk was. She felt the jealous glares of the girls behind her hit her back.

"Is there a problem?" he questioned, opening his planner to the day's lesson.

"No, it's just…ah," she replied, scratching the back of her head, "nevermind."

As Sora walked to his seat, he answered everyone's greeting with a smile, but his face turned into a blank expression when he took his seat. He stared ahead at the front of the room, bored as he watched the teacher work out a problem on the board.

Kairi was hardly paying attention to the day's lesson. Her mind was already running in several different directions. The boy sitting beside her was still the same boy she knew from years ago and before last night. But there was something different about him. He seemed more…beautiful. Physically, he wasn't _not_ the same, but he seemed more graceful, more striking, more…like Roxas and the rest of them.

-----

"Kairi?" a voice broke into her thoughts. "Class is over."

"Uh…what?" she shook her head and refocused her attention. Most everyone around her was leaving or packing up. She was too deep in her thoughts and didn't realize how much time had actually passed, that was until someone took the time to tell her. "Oh, thanks," she glanced up to see who it was (she also was too deeply buried to register whose voice pulled her out). "Sora," she added with a surprised smile.

"You're…" a small grin crept onto his lips, which he noticed, and he quickly changed expression, turning his back to her. "…welcome," he finished roughly. He needed to distance himself from her. He needed to protect her life.

Pulling in a nerve-calming breath, Kairi gathered her books and followed him out the door. "What's your next class?"

His blue eyes flickered back to her and a humored smirk arose on his face. _There's no way I'm going to be able to avoid her. There's just some kind of attraction other than the one we feel for each other pulling us together. Should I play cold or maintain our friendship?_ He glanced back again and she was quietly following behind him, her eyes watching for a response. Sora pulled out his schedule and told her. "Chemistry I with Yukito-sensei."

There was a delay to her answer, for the first bell rang. "I have that class next too. Looks like we'll have at least two classes together every day," she responded slowly, afraid that if she said the words too quickly, the meaning would be lost.

The two of them walked in silence the rest of the hallway. Amongst the rushed chatter of the students trying to quickly finish their conversation before the second warning bell rang, Sora and Kairi's footsteps bounced off the linoleum floor, reflecting off the hallway lockers and resounding in their ears. When the second warming bell rang, they picked up their pace, the rhythm of their footsteps marching in a faster synchronized rhythm. Once they reached the door, Kairi stepped inside as Sora waited in the hallway. She turned around and gave him a confused look, wondering why he delayed his entrance.

"Introduction," he answered, knowing her question before she asked. He turned away from her as she proceeded to her seat, breathing deeply to calm his slightly racing heart.

He noticed, in that last exchange, that the bandage around her neck was different than the one he put on the bite wound last night. That meant, somehow, the original one had come off. It could mean that someone had discovered his mark on her, which was why his heart began to lose control.

"…Sora, please introduce yourself to the class." The teacher's voice drifted from behind the classroom doors.

As he entered, the same silence that accompanied his entrance in math was present. Keeping his face calm, he scanned the room, noticing the conspicuous empty seat beside Kairi. He was pretty sure that it wasn't void of an owner before this morning.

"_Ohayou gozaimasu_," he said, repeating the same introduction he made earlier in AlgebraIII. The response from the students was nearly identical to each other, mesmerized and deeply interested. All but Kairi's, which was more curious than the others, like she wanted to still learn more about him, about him being a vampire.

_Don't think that way!_ he told himself. _You need to separate yourself away from her. Not get closer._

But achieving the separation seemed difficult as he found himself sharing a lab table with the person he was trying best to avoid. Again, he masked his thoughts and emotions with a blank look and took his seat beside Kairi.

Despite attempting to act cold toward Kairi, Sora found himself stealing glances toward her, only to find her intent on focusing on Yukito-sensei's lesion. He concluded that chemistry may not come easily to her, unlike himself. This he found amusing because her father was quite fluent in the area of chemistry. How else would he be able to invent the blood tablets?

-----

"What do you have next?" Kairi asked promptly when the bell rang.

"Lunch. And then I have World History with Axel-sama," he answered, trying not to make eye contact with her. His plan for keeping cold definitely wasn't working. His heart wouldn't allow for him to hurt Kairi that way.

"I have lunch too," she answered, getting up from her seat and straightening her plaid skirt. "But I have Literature with Yuuko-sensei today. Guess we just missed each other, huh?"

"I guess we did," he replied, keeping his voice as distant as he could possibly make it. He followed Kairi out of the chemistry room to the cafeteria.

"Roxas and Demyx are going to be in the same class as you," she stated as they proceeded down the hallway, "and Naminé has Lit with me. Riku too."

Sora willed himself not to respond, fighting his body to not react to Kairi's voice. Kairi, noticing the silence, looked up and found him turned away from her, like he had been several times that day. In silence, they continued their way to lunch. Questions formed one after another in Kairi's mind, but two stood out among the group.

Was he avoiding her purposefully because she now knew he was a vampire? Or was there a deeper problem root within this mess?

-----

Sora was grateful for his third mod class because he wasn't around his only temptation. He was able to not speak to the rest of the students, but not Kairi. He was able to keep his eyes focused on everything other than the students, but not with Kairi. No matter how much he fought to keep her out of his mind, she would find her way back into his thoughts.

"Sora…" Axel read on his attendance list, his eyes lighting up at the name of his new student. "I'm glad that I got to have you in one of my classes."

"Axel…-sensei," Roxas added after a short beat of silence, "don't make a show of it. Sora's just like _us_. No big deal."

Noticing the emphasis Roxas placed on the word 'us', Sora took his seat beside Roxas and in front of Demyx. The seating arrangement only made it more terribly true: he had officially belonged with them, now that he had the blood of another person flowing inside him. One of the reasons that Kairi and him needed to not be so close.

"Okay class. Open your text to Chapter Five," Axel announced as he began to erase the previous history notes off the board.

-----

"He's been around for 550 years?!" Sora exclaimed quietly when Roxas answered his question about how Axel seemed so knowledgeable about the subject matter. The three boys were walking out of Axel's class and down the stairs to the main floor.

"Well, when you're a vampire, you age extremely slowly. And since Axel-sama is a _Superior_, he ages even slower than we would," Roxas replied.

"It doesn't seem like you and Demyx are aging slowly," Sora pointed out. "I knew you guys even before my change."

"Our childhood and teenage years pass like human years. It's only that way so we can grow up amongst humans without fear of being exposed as we enter school," Demyx answered, sounding quite smart.

"What about me? Will my life pass by slowly like you guys?" Sora asked. If his life developed at a slower pace than Kairi's, he would physically be younger than her. How awkward would their life become if that happened?

"Well, yeah, you've become one of us," Roxas responded, "but that's only if you survive the…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the dreadful thought.

"Hey Sora!" Naminé's voice extended across the hallway toward the trio of boys. "Hey Roxas. Demyx." She waved to them, flagging them over.

"Look," Demyx said, "Kairi and Riku are with her this time."

"I wonder why," Roxas pondered, nudging Sora with his elbow. "They don't normally wait for us. Riku does sometimes to check on us, but never Kairi."

"Think it's because a new student's here today?" Demyx asked Roxas loudly with intentions of Sora overhearing.

"I guess I'll be heading to last mod with Naminé now," Roxas announced as Naminé took a few steps away from Kairi toward him. "I'll see you guys later."

"See ya later," Demyx said as Sora told Roxas, "Bye then."

"I'll get going too," Demyx stated. "Don't want to be a third wheel like Riku would be."

"No, don't—" Sora called after him, but Demyx dashed away too quickly for him to say anything. After letting out a sigh, Sora realized that Riku would be with them, so everything would've been fine. But that was until Riku walked away also. Nothing seemed to go right or wrong for him. Slowly, he dragged himself toward her.

"Hey Sora," she greeted him cheerfully, "how was class with Roxas and Demyx?"

"It was okay," he answered, cursing himself for not being able to deny his heart.

"What class do you have next?" she questioned.

"Drawing I," he replied, hoping for the best and the worst.

"Same as me," she responded gleefully. "Guess we can't stay away from each other for too long."

Sora paused, missing a beat. Emotions swelled up inside him when the news finally sunk in. There was no way he could put her in safety's way. Fate wouldn't comply with him. If it would, he would be able to ignore her, be cold to her, and they wouldn't have ANY classes together. This bond of deepness was only hurting her. Even he wasn't benefitting from this contract. The only person gaining favor in this relationship was…that person.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Kairi asked. "The final bell's gonna ring. We should get going if we don't want to get in trouble."

"You don't understand Kairi!" he shouted, but it didn't matter because they were the only people in the hallway. "There can't be no 'we'!"

"What…what do you mean?" she asked, her voice firm. "Why can't there be a 'you and me?'"

Sora opened his mouth to explain, but he paused, deciding that the hallway where anyone could hear them wasn't the best idea. Grabbing Kairi's hand, he pulled her into the nearest empty classroom, closing the door behind him. He pushed her gently to the door, leaning closely to her neck. He hesitated, feeling the warmth of her skin on his cheek.

"Why can't there be 'a you and me?'" Kairi asked, her breath catching in her throat. "Why Sora?"

"Didn't you hear it last night?" he replied, his eyes closed in pained content. "Didn't you hear the sound of me drinking your blood?"

* * *

  
Find out what happens next in **Chapter Five: Confrontation**.


	5. Confrontation

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives. f

**5. Confrontation  
****~ Jusan Kikan~**

He pulled me into an empty classroom, closing the door behind us and pushing me against it. I could feel the cold wood through the fabric of my uniform, but that didn't cool my rapidly beating heart. He put his lips to my neck, opposite the wound he gave me. They were cool against my flushed skin.

"Why can't there be a 'you and me'?" I questioned him, puzzled by his reaction earlier. My breathing quickened, catching in my throat. "Why Sora?"

"Didn't you hear it last night?" he replied, his lips moving against my skin. "Didn't you hear the sound of me drinking your blood?"

-----

A tense silence followed Sora's questioning, filling the dark room ominously. The light that filtered into the room only cast lengthier shadows of the empty desks in the room. The only sound was that of Kairi's breathing.

"Well, did you hear it last night?" Sora repeated, straightening up to look her directly in the eyes. "Couldn't you feel your heart, your body, getting weaker?"

"Yes, but…" she trailed off, turning away from him.

"I couldn't control myself then," he explained. "I lost control and you became a victim. I don't want that to happen again. That's why I can't get any closer to you." He didn't realize how much it hurt him to say those words. But the only way to keep her safe was for him to distance himself from her. It was the only way to protect his friends.

"I don't care about that," she responded, placing her hand on his. "You're still the same Sora that I've known for practically my whole life. Just because you've become a vampire doesn't mean anything to me." She pressed her cheek to his hand, feeling the warmth of his skin.

"What'll happen once I fall to the level of _Renegade_? My mind will no longer be in my control. I could kill you, Riku, and everyone else," he retaliated, trying to convince her and himself.

"What about the blood tablets? Don't they keep your body's cravings in check?"

"They would if my body accepted them, but my body doesn't. The only thing that will stave off my hunger is blood…human blood!"

"Then I'll give you my blood."

Another beat of silence followed. Tension arose in the silence of the room. Seconds which felt like lifetimes ticked off the clock on the wall.

"What?" he asked because he heard what she said, not because he hadn't.

"I'll be your supply of blood," she stated, confidence slowly rising in her voice. "If it'll keep you from falling, I'll give you my blood."

"What if I actually kill you?" he questioned, testing her courage.

"I know you won't," she replied. "You're no different than what I remember you as. Sure, you've become a vampire, but you're still Sora. You're still my friend; you're still the person Riku constantly argues with, only to laugh about it later; you're still the person that I fell in lo—"

"Have you actually thought any of this over?" he interrupted, his voice shaking under his control. "Do you realize what you're saying? You think I'm the victim here, but in truth, you're risking your life too." He let out a sigh and walked toward the other door in the room. "Maybe I should leave. It's the only way to keep you safe."

"Don't be so stupid!" Kairi rushed forward, holding him tightly around the waist and burying her face into the middle of his back. "I can't lose you again! If you leave, I'm just going to go out there and search for you!"

"How are you going to find me?" he questioned. "You forget? I'm a vampire."

"I don't care that you're a vampire!" she repeated, holding him more tightly. "I'll go and look for you. I'll put myself out there in the world until I find you. I'm not going to lose you again."

"Don't come after me," he told her, putting his hand tenderly on top of hers and closing his fingers around them. "It would put you in danger," he added quietly in a whisper.

"Why? I told you that I'm not going to let you go." Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes as she grabbed the front of his shirt in her hands.

_Why? Because Xemnas is looking for you in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy. He's the reason I'm here. He's the reason I can't get close to you. He'll use me to get what he wants. Xemnas will use me to get you. _Sora dropped his hands in defeat. It was a lose-lose situation either way for him. At least, as long as he's with Kairi, he could control to the situation…to an extent.

"Fine," he surrendered quietly, "I won't go. I'll stay."

"What?" Kairi said, her grip on him dying. "Did you say you're staying? You're not leaving?"

"Yeah," he replied, a confused smile crawling onto his face. Unknowingly, he was just as relieved that he wasn't leaving. "I'm staying here with you, Riku, Roxas, and the rest of you guys."

Kairi was so ecstatic that she threw her arm around him in a hug. Words couldn't explain the joy that swelled up in her heart, like air in a balloon. Sora, feeling extremely happy himself, didn't attempt to peel her off. He put his two hands on her arms, letting her excitement pass through him and mix with his own. The smile on his face was genuine now, no hint of confusion or worry on his face.

A thought quickly occurred to Kairi, something she knew she shouldn't bring up, but because of her concern for Sora, she did so anyway. "What about the blood?"

Sora turned around and stared at her incredulously. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Do you want me to put myself in danger by looking for you?" she retaliated smugly.

"Fine. I said I was staying anyway," he replied, saying the last part quietly. "But no blood. I don't want to hurt you. I'll figure out this transformation thing myself."

"But—" She began to argue, but an announcement came over the speaker system.

"Kairi, Riku, Sora, and Roxas, please report to the main office."

"I wonder why we're called up there?" Kairi asked aloud to no one in particular. "Guess we should go see what it's about."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, continuing on his previous path to the door. "Let's go," he told her.

Together, they headed out of the dark classroom into the lighted hallway and walked toward the main office. A single fluorescent light flickered on and off continuously for a few moments until Sora and Kairi made a turn into another hallway.

"Are you feeling okay?" Kairi questioned, the earlier situation still sitting on her mind.

"Ever since last night, I've been better," Sora answered, knowing exactly where she was heading with her questioning, "but I've lived the year after I first transformed without a single drop of blood. I lived a year surviving that unquenchable thirst. Last night will not change anything. I'll suffer alone if it'll keep you and everyone else safe."

"You don't have to suffer alone," she quickly replied.

"It's the only option that won't hurt you," he stated. "Your safety is my only concern."

Kairi gave up on pursuing the subject. Sora wouldn't budge on this subject and she was already at the disadvantage in the argument. At least he wasn't leaving. She could settle for that…for now.

They walked into the main office and found Riku and Roxas already there. Riku took a glance at them and walked away from them. Roxas looked at them also, his eyes narrowing at their hands. Kairi and Sora looked down at the same time to see what Roxas was staring at. Neither of them had noticed, but sometime in the hallway, they had reached for the other's hand.

"Oh!" they exclaimed, letting go of the other's hand and turning away from each other.

"Did something happen between you two that you're embarrassed to tell us?" Roxas pointed out.

"Professor?" Riku said as Kaito walked out from the main office's conference room. "What are you doing here? Are you the one who called us here?"

"Yeah," Kaito answered, lowering his voice to barely above a whisper. "I need to discuss nightly matters with you."

"Then why is Roxas here?" Kairi asked, nothing how Roxas stood farther away from the group of hunters.

"I'll explain that as soon as we get going," he responded, ushering the children out of the office.

-----

"Was this so important that you couldn't wait another half hour until school ended?" Riku asked as the group walked into the main conference room.

"Actually, it is," Kaito answered, peering out of the door as if he was looking for someone. "It's about the vampires. Axel wanted to talk to you about it."

"Then why am I here?" Roxas inquired, wondering why Axel had summoned him along with the _Renegade_ hunters. "I'm a vampire, not a hunter."

"That's exactly why you're here," Axel replied, walking into the room as Kaito closed the door. "Besides, you asked to join them, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, tired of being lost in the conversation for too long.

Axel looked at Sora, a chuckle on his lips. "A little impatient, aren't we?" He rubbed the top of the kid's head, messing up Sora's hair. "Well, I wanted to talk to you four because there's a mission that I need you for."

"About vampires?" Kairi said.

"Yes," he stated. "Vampires, just like you guys, have a government, but it's more of a council. Unlike your government, you don't want to approach the High Council alone. They're a group of blood-thirsty vampire who would take any kind of meal that came along. You see, bonds of blood aren't as strong as bonds of love and trust."

"So you want us to approach the High Council with you?" Riku concurred, a little bit of apprehension in his voice. He and Kairi were only human, perfect target for a room of vicious blood-thirsty vampires.

"Actually, only Roxas and Sora are would accompany me."

"Then why did you ask for us?" Kairi questioned, her eyes worried for her friends.

"I didn't want you to be uninformed," Professor answered. "I know how much they mean to you. They're all important friends of yours. It would've worried you if they just left. I felt it was better this way."

"So," Axel said to Roxas and Sora, "will you two come with me?"

"Do you really have to ask me?" Roxas answered. "You took me under your care after my parents left me. You know that I'd do anything for you."

"What about you Sora?" Axel asked. "This isn't an order, but merely a request."

"If Roxas is gonna go, I'll go," Sora responded, looking at his friend.

"Great!" Axel stated, clapping his hands together once. "Go, get ready, we leave in five minutes."

"What? So soon," Roxas questioned. "What about Naminé? Aren't you gonna tell her too?"

"I informed Naminé ahead of time," Axel answered. "She said she pretty much expected for you and Sora to come with me. Speaking of which, you two, go hurry and get ready. We leave in a few minutes, as I have already told you."

-----

After Axel, Roxas, and Sora took their leave, it left Kairi alone with Riku. Professor Kaito had returned to his office to finish off some paperwork that he had procrastinated doing.

"Is something on your mind?" Kairi asked, noticing the contemplative look in his blue eyes. "You've been really quiet ever since they left. Something bothering you?"

"I wouldn't say that it's bothering me, but something is on my mind," he answered, looking intently at her.

"What's that?" he questioned, slightly taken back at how his electric blue eyes gazed at her.

"Why didn't you question why Sora was going, but not us?" he replied after taking time to figure out the wording to his question.

"I could ask you the same question," she said as she understood the meaning of his words. "I guess my answer would be the same as yours. Because I know what happened to him. What he's become."

"When did you find out?"

"Last night," she answered, sparing the details of how she found out. She touched the side of her neck softly, remembering how his fangs pierced through her flesh.

"Guess he's takin' that pretty hard," he concluded, remember Sora's earlier behavior toward Kairi.

"I guess he is," she agreed. _I can see why, _she thought,_ He didn't want me to know. I highly doubt that he wanted me to find out the way I did. _She pressed her fingers against the wound, cringing slightly from the pain.

Riku noticed how her hand always hovered around the wound since she got it, which reminded him of his earlier suspicion about Kairi's explanation of it. "How's your neck?" he questioned. "Is it bothering you?"

"No," she answered automatically, her hands falling to her side. "I…I just remembered…something…" she added, trailing off at the end. She waited for a response, but as the silence passed, she looked at Riku, noticing the far off look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Kairi," he sighted heavily, his electric eyes locked on her's, "I'm…your friend, right?"

"Yeah," she answered, startled at his question. She took a step toward him, a step closer to his seat as she reached out to him. "Why do you ask? Is something wrong?"

"That wound on your neck," his eyes were directed toward it, "how did you _really_ get it?"

"I-I told you this morning," she answered. "A tree branch caught my neck." She paused. "Riku, what's wrong? What's with the weird questions?"

He continued, ignoring her concern. "Did Sora tell you about how his body doesn't react to the blood tablets correctly? About how his thirst for blood can't be satisfied unless it's real?"'

Memories hit her harder then they previously did. The way her skin crawled in disgust and pleasure at Sora's carnivorous touch. The feel of his lips as they brushed against her skin before they revealed the non-human trait about him. The pain she experienced as his white fangs pierced her flesh. The sound of Sora drinking her blood, a sound both pleasing and frightful to her ears. But it was how her body was slowly losing breath as Sora satisfied his body's urge that impacted her most. Sora could've take her life if he continued drawing blood, but he didn't.

"No," Kairi answered, keeping her voice steady. "I didn't know that."

Riku eyes the steadiness in her voice suspiciously. Something about it bothered him, conformed his earlier suspicions. "Kairi…are you lying to me?"

"What makes you say that?"

Emotions collided with each other in his heart, but one stood out prominently: Pain. It hurt him to know that Kairi was lying to him, that she was hiding something important. His heart ached because he knew she would never have the same feelings for him that she had for his best friend. "Did he…" he took her shoulder in his hands, "…no. Is he the reason for what's on your neck?"

Kairi, at first startled, looked at his hands and then turned to meet the determined expression on his face. A smile formed on her lips. It didn't surprise her that Riku was completely right about everything. She tilted her head to the side. "I told you. A branch did it," she pressed her fingers to the wound, afraid that he would discover the lie which he already knew about. "Sora had absolutely nothing to do with my clumsiness."

With this answer, Riku let go of her shoulders. "Okay," he told her," reclining into the chair. Her firm answer told him everything he needed to know…well, it more or less calmed his apprehensions. Sora didn't kill her. Sora still had control. He smiled, relaxing his hands beside his head.

"Was something on your mind?" Kairi asked, her fingers still pressed to her neck.

"Yeah, but not anymore."

"That's good," she replied, dropping her hand. She took a seat on the table in front of him. "What do you think Axel-sama and the others are seeing the High Council about?"

"Beats me," he shrugged. "We'll probably find out when they come back, but I can't say for sure."

"I hope Sora's okay," Kairi stated.

"Yeah, me too."

-----

After two hours of staring at the treeless scenery pass outside of the darkly tinted window of the black foreign sports car, Sora turned his attention to the front of the vehicle. Axel's eyes were watching him from the driver's seat.

"You feelin' okay?" Axel asked him.

"Yeah," Sora answered, his head hitting the back of the seat in front of him. He took his hands to his throat. It was extremely dry, a dull burning catching in his throat.

"You thirsty?" Axel questioned, noticing his actions.

"Yeah," Sora replied, "but I'm okay."

"Here," Roxas declared, holding out his wrist to him. "Drink."

Sora looked at his friend's offered wrist, unsure of what to doo. "Isn't it against Professor's doctrine to drink blood?"

"Human blood," Roxas answered. "It's fine if we drink each other's blood. We're not hurting any human by doing so."

"Do you guys…" he hesitated to ask, "you know…drink each other's blood then?"

"We can't," Axel responded. "Vampire blood is way too bitter for vampires or our ranking. It's nothing compared to human blood, but for you, who actually fought of the _Renegade_ instinct for over a year, it might suffice."

"So here," Roxas offered, "drink 'til you're satisfied."

"Are you sure Roxas?" Sora questioned. "What if I can't control myself?"

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Axel stated.

The reassuring look in both their eyes calmed Sora. The burning was growing, slowly taking over his thoughts. He took Roxas' wrist and drew it to his mouth. Fangs bared, Sora placed his lips to Roxas' skin, closing his eyes. But when he tried to bite Roxas, something stopped him. His body wouldn't will him to drink Roxas' blood. It wouldn't will him to drink anyone's blood. Except for one person.

"What's the matter?" Roxas asked when Sora dropped his hand. "Aren't you thirsty?"

"Nah," he lied, the burning in his throat growing stronger. "I'll pass on this. I've survived this long without blood. I think I can manage this time."

Axel watched via rearview mirror and noted Sora's sudden change in mind. No vampire of his type could resist offered blood. Sora was different in that respect amongst others. _Life's gonna get interesting._

"Axel-sama," Sora asked, "why are we seeing the High Council?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.

"Well, the Council knows about Kaito and his 'experiment.' Kaito first approached the Council when he wanted to test his theory. Most every member rejected the proposal. All of them but one."

"Who?"

"You're talkin' to him," Axel answered proudly. "I knew Kaito from his hunting days. He was an amazing hunter. Best in the land, but when he met Kairo, that changed. Everything changed.

"Anyway, back to why we're seein' the Council. Well, because I didn't reject, I volunteered to participate in his studies. The Council expects for me to keep them well informed about how everything is progressing. They also want to meet every vampire involved in this research. Roxas, Naminé, and Demyx all met the Council. Now, it's your turn."

"Oh," Sora said. He stared out the window again, his eyes restlessly watching the sky.

"Were you expecting something else?" Axel questioned.

"I…honestly didn't know what to expect," he replied. "But why is Roxas with us? You said that he already met the Council."

"He's here because he wants to be," Axel answered. "Roxas also wants to join you when you go hunting at night."

"Really?" Sora asked Roxas.

"Yeah," he responded. "I don't want something to happen to you. Not like last time. Besides, if a vampire of your status can track down _Renegades_, who's to say that a _Noble_ can't?"

"We also have to report that too," Axel stated. "That you and Roxas have joined Kaito's hunting agency."

"I don't know how that'll fare with Xemnas," Roxas said. "Xemnas is the current head of the Council. He founded the Council in order to establish order for the vampire race. I think he has other intentions though."

"Yeah, he does like you don't know," Sora muttered under his breath, barely audible to his own ears.

"C'mon Roxas. Don't say that when the Council could be listening," Axel scolded, now looking at Roxas through the rearview mirror.

"Fine," Roxas answered, a grimace sitting on his face, "but I still don't trust him. Xemnas and his stupid prophecies."

"We're here," Axel announced, pulling up to a large white castle. "Be mindful of how you present yourself. The Council could kill you in a matter of seconds, so be careful."

Sora and Roxas followed their guardian as they proceed to the castle in front of them. It was brilliantly white with silver accents around the many minuscule windows. The walls appeared smooth, as if they were molded rather than built up from bricks. The surrounding area was void of any greenery, the landscape white the like the fortress that rested upon it. The top of the building seemed to disappear into the clouds, their outline faintly showing through the wispy white clouds against the pale blue sky. The only visible entrance was a fifteen foot door with a strange silver marking engraved on it. Sora reached out and touched the emblem, tracing the contours with his fingers.

"Familiar, isn't it?" Axel asked him, placing a friendly hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Yeah," he answered quietly, "it was the first thing that came to mind when I woke up as a vampire."

"It's the mark of our kind," Axel explained, waving his hand over the symbol. It glowed brightly for a few seconds and then the door opened. "_Mark of Nobody_. That's what we've come to know it as."

"_Nobody_?" Sora questioned. "Why the name _nobody_?"

"I'll explain later," he replied, walking into the darkened hallway. "Right now, we meet the Council."

The trio continued down the lightless hallway, travelling quite a distance before a faint light appeared. It was a comforting sign, the light, as it showed the path ahead of them. The continued until they entered a white room. The ceiling appeared to go on endlessly, just like the walls of the fortress. The room was void of furniture except for thirteen pillars.

"Is this where we're supposed to be?" Sora questioned, looking around the room for other people. "Where's the Council?"

"Look up," Roxas explained, pointing to the top of the pillars.

These pillars were not what they seemed because they were in fact chairs. Some were higher than others, determining rank, Sora supposed. Axel had taken his place amongst ten others, leaving two chairs blank.

"Why are there thirteen places when there are only eleven members?" Sora asked, looking around at the faces of the vampires around him.

"Those seats are for when Demyx and I join the High Council," he replied, indifferent to the fact he had a place already set of him. "They see potential in us. Can't wait to have us on the High Council."

"Roxas," a voice declared, brightly filling the quiet room, "how great to see ya. How've you been?"

"I've been okay," Roxas answered. "Thanks for asking, Xigbar."

"Won't be long now," Xigbar replied, "will it? When you and Demyx will be joinin' us. Speaking of which, where is the musical airhead anyway?"

"It's just me okay," he stated. "Me, Axel, and my friend, Sora."

"So," a female voice spoke, "this is the human friend that you didn't eat. I don't understand why you've befriended such a tasty-looking loser. Although, it seems that he's no longer human and one of us now. How lame."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Larxene," a third voice told her. "Seems that you've angered Roxas' friend. He looks ready for a fight."

"Shut up, Vexen!" Larxene snapped back. "What's the kid gonna do to me? Hunt me down like one of the _Renegades_? Boy, am I scared now."

Anger filled Sora's veins as Larxene's words reached the lower levels of the room. His fist clenched, he took a heated step forward, ready to fight.

"Don't do something that would put yourself at odds with them," Roxas advised, holding his arm across Sora's chest to hold him back. "They determine your fate as a vampire. Be careful."

"So this is the vampire with an incredibly strong will that can resist his _Renegade_ instincts," a deep voice spoke from the highest chair. "That's impressive, Sora."

"Xemnas," Sora whispered spitefully under his breath.

"Yes, that is truly remarkable," someone else spoke, a slight applause in his voice.

"He's one of a kind, Luxord. He's also resisted offered blood," Axel explained. "You'd think after a year of fighting the urge, he'd gladly take up Roxas' offer, but he simply said no."

"That may be because he found someone to be his prey," Xemnas stated, looking down at the spiky haired teenager. "But that can't be the case now, can it?"

"Now," another person said, "why have you brought the two children before us today?"

"Well Saïx," Axel answered, "Sora had decided to cooperate with Professor Kaito's plan. And both of them have chosen to hunt _Renegades_."

"Hunt _Renegades_, huh?" Xemnas repeated, leaning forward slightly toward the young boys with intrigue in his eyes. "What a strange profession for you two to pursue. I don't see anything wrong with that. Does anyone object?"

The room remained silent as Xemnas reclined back into his seat. Sora and Roxas waited for someone to declare their discontent with the idea, but no one seemed to share that opinion. Roxas looked over at Larxene.

"What?" she retorted, questioning Roxas' accusing glare. "I'm not gonna say anything. I think I'll enjoy watching you trying to rough it out as a vampire hunter."

"So," Xemnas stated after a moment of silence, "there are no objections. It appears that you're both free to choose to do what your heart desires. I wish both of you the best of luck…Roxas…Sora." There was a silent maliciousness in his voice when he said that latter name.

A low growl escaped Sora's throat as he took a step toward the Council's Superior. He knew that tone of voice. It was the first thing he encountered in his life as a vampire.

"What about Sora?" Axel asked. "Is there any question to his residing with us at Kaito's clinic and participating in his studies?"

A door suddenly opened in the furthest corner of the room as Xemnas waved his hand. "I have no objections to that request, but I'd like to speak to Sora privately." He pointed to the open door. "May I?" he asked Axel.

"I don't see a problem with that," Axel answered.

"Good," Xemnas dropped from his chair, a fall of at least thirty feet. He landed softly on his feet, the heels of his shoes clicking on the ground. He proceeded to the door, stopping once to motion Sora to follow him. "Come, Sora. I'd like a word with you."

Roxas gave Sora a push to start him off. "Go. Don't deny him. He determines your fate. Don't get him on your bad side."

Slowly, Sora followed Xemnas into the other room, his eyes constantly scanning the area for any traps. As he walked through the door into the dimly lit room, Xemnas waved his arm and the door swiftly closed behind them. The single light began to flicker on…off…on…off…on and off continuously.

"You have an extremely strong will, Sora," Xemnas commented, circling around him, eyeing him like a prize. "It appears that I've made the right choice in turning you into a vampire." He leaned closely to Sora's ear. "Now all we have to do is make it so you'd do _my_ will. How shall we do it?"

* * *

The main antagonist has now been introduced! What lies ahead for Sora and his friends? What is this will Xemnas has in store? Find out in the next chapter: **Untold Truth**

* * *


	6. Untold Truth

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.

* * *

**6. Untold Truthf  
****~ Hitorijime~**

I sat in a dark brown leather chair in the main room of my father's clinic, waiting for Sora, Roxas, and Axel to come back. Daddy said that it was useless to wait for them, but I needed to know that they were fine.

"You should go home and get some sleep," Riku told me, handing me a blue blanket the color of his eyes. "I bet'cha they're coming back now and they'll be here in the morning."

I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, rubbing the fabric to my cheek, the electric blue soft against my skin. "I want to make sure that they're okay. That Sora…comes back to me."

"You know, he's not gonna leave you," Riku answered, placing a heavy hand on my head. "You mean too much to him."

"What about you?" I questioned him. "Are you gonna head home?"

"Well, I was actually thinking about waiting for him, too." He took a seat on the armrest of my chair. "Ya don't mind, do ya?"

"No. It's fine."

An awkward silence followed. I wasn't sure what to do beside stare out the glass doors to watch for their return. I could feel Riku's eyes on mine, gently watching me as he always did during that year Sora was gone. No, even before then. He was always watching me with those gentle and concerned eyes. I never made anything of it before…that was until now.

He loved me.

I just never noticed it before because of my feelings for Sora. He had been watching me stumble through my infatuation with his best friends without saying a word.

I hurt him in the worst possible way.

Maybe if I hadn't met Sora first…hadn't been so sure that he was the one for me…hadn't known that he would be my only love, it might've worked out between us, but there was no way it could happen now. I was irreversibly in love with Sora. There would be no way I could have these same passionate feeling for anyone else.

"Kairi, are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to me.

"Riku," my voice cracked, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For not meeting you first." I couldn't bring myself to say it. Say that I was sorry for not choosing Sora over him. It wouldn't have been true. I'm glad I love Sora. I wouldn't want it any other way.

"Was that all I had to do? Meet you before you met Sora?" He smiled tenderly, a sparkle in his eyes. "It's okay, Kairi. Just as long as you're happy. That's all that matters to me."

"Riku," my voice was barely above a whisper, "I hope you'll find happiness with the right person. You're the greatest friend I could ask for."

"Same here," he replied.

-----

Kairi awoke to the sunlight that was intensified by glass windows surrounding the room. A second blanket slid onto the floor as she stood up, clutching the electric blue blanket around her shoulders.

"Morning," Riku told her as he passed into the room.

"Good morning," she replied, reaching down and picking up the red and black blanket from the floor and placing it on the leather chair. "I guess I fell asleep, didn't I?"

"Well kinda," he answered jokingly.

"Thanks for the second blanket," she said, hoping their relationship was still the same.

"It wasn't me," he responded, pointing to a chair beside her. "Someone else was worried that you'd be cold too."

She turned around to find Sora snoozing on the chair. His head was resting on his arm, which lie on the armrest, as if he was watching her. She leaned over and brushed the hair out of his face, only for it to fall back into place. He stirred slightly, opening one eye before drifting off back to sleep.

"Get up Sora," she giggled. "You lazy bum."

He sleepily raised his head, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Oh, Kairi, it's you. G'morning."

"Mornin'," she told him.

"Good morning Riku," Sora said after taking his eyes off of Kairi.

"Morning Sora," he answered, taking a seat across from him. "How'd everything go last night?"

"Great," he replied immediately in a usually bright voice. "The Council accepted both proposals without a complaint."

"That's good," Kairi said, sitting back in her seat. "Can I ask why Roxas went with you two?"

"He wants to join us when we go to hunt," Sora answered in his normal voice. "He's gotten permission from Axel-sama and your dad, but both Roxas and I needed the Council's approval."

"So that officially means you're part of our team?" she questioned, leaning toward him with eager eyes. "Roxas too?"

"Let's not talk about this right now," he responded uneasily, shifting away from her. "Do we have to go hunt tonight?"

"Probably," Riku replied, noting Sora's reluctance to stay on the topic for too long. "Professor's shuffling through a massive pile of paper work right now. It might actually be a while before we get a clear answer."

"Why don't we go to the park then?" Kairi suggested, the blanket sliding off her shoulders as she stood up. "It's been years since we went there."

"I'm game," Riku said, getting up from his seat.

"What about you Sora?" she questioned him. "Want to go for old time's sake?" She stretched her hand to him.

"Sure," he answered, taking her hand.

"Let's go," Kairi said, also taking Riku's hand. "Together."

-----

The dim sun was slowly climbing into the sky, casting long shadows on the ground. A cool breeze blew through the sky, causing the leaves in the trees to sway back and forth. The bird's bright song rang through the air, weaving between the colors of the flowers, a message of the new day. Sora, Kairi, and Riku proceeded on the gravel path as the butterflies approached them, only to flutter away within the next second. Clouds slowly moved across the promising sky, their shadows scattered across the ground. Sora looked up, avoiding the sun, and smiled at the eternally blue sky.

The three wandered through the park, only glancing around at the familiar scenery: the vast playing field where Sora and Riku would spar when they were little while Kairi observed as the audience; the heavily wooded forest where they would often explore mysteries they imagined; the old metal park bench that just got a fresh coat of paint so it glimmered in the sunlight.

"Look, there's our favorite spot when we were little," Kairi stated, pointing to a large tree at the top of the hill. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

It was an old oak tree, around even before the children were born. Its gnarled roots protruded from the ground, forming small arcs before it buried itself into the ground. The bark was lined with wrinkles, rough to the touch of another creature. Its low sturdy branches formed seats that they, when they were younger children, could climb upon and sit. Many times have they watched the sun dip below the horizon, casting brilliant pastel colors against the stars that were slowly appearing. The end of the day.

It was ironic that they visited there at the beginning of the day. Instead of saying good-bye, they were now greeting a new day. It was also where Sora said his last words to Kairi before he left and now they were both coming back together.

"Race ya to the top," Riku challenged Sora, a childish smile on his face as he positioned himself.

"You're on," Sora agreed, also bending low. "Count us down, Kairi."

"Okay," she giggled, running ahead of them. She turned around to face them and held her arms in the air. "3…2…1!" She dropped her arms, signaling the start of the race.

Both Riku and Sora pushed off the ground, running toward the tree. Normally, both of them would be neck and neck with each other until the last few feet, where Riku pulled ahead. That wasn't the cast this time.

"Wow," Kairi whispered as soon as she turned around.

In the few seconds she waited to turn around, Sora was already at the tree's base while Riku was only a quarter of the way there. Sora waved back to them, a satisfied smirk dressing his face. Kairi ran up beside Riku and the two promptly walked the rest of the way.

"So, that's one of the few things you've gained," Riku applauded, admiring Sora's new abilities. "You get anything else?"

"Yeah," he answered, leaning against the tree. "Don't like to use them unless absolutely necessary."

"Hey," Kairi said, distracting the boys from a topic that she knew Sora was uncomfortable with, "let's climb to the top. We used to be able to see the whole park from there."

"We used to think we were on top of the world," Sora remembered, looking at the top. "I guess we know better now, don't we?"

"Yeah," Riku agreed. "Our world is so small, but it's a part of something so much bigger. We're always learning more about these worlds." He looked at Sora and then at Kairi, folding his arms across his chest. "It's the Professor's dream that the vampire world could live peacefully with ours."

"Riku…" Sora said, amazed at his friend's deep words.

"Sorry," he apologized, scratching the back of his head, "I guess I've been thinking a lot since you've come back, Sora."

A pause of silence followed.

"C'mon," Sora said, reaching his hand out to Kairi and Riku, "let's climb to the top."

Sora climbed onto the lowest branch without much effort. The whole climb up wasn't much of an effort because of his vampire strength and agility. He slowed down his pace in order to allow Kairi and Riku to keep up with him.

"Sora!" Kairi called when she encountered a branch too high for her.

Turning around, he reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her up onto the upper brand. They both waited until Riku climbed up with them.

"You okay?" Sora asked Kairi before continuing up the tree.

"I'm fine," she answered, nodding.

Sora reached up for the next branch and pulled himself up. Kairi proceeded to follow him, but Riku grabbed her hand before she could climb up.

"I know I said that I'd be okay as long as you were happy," he told her, pulling her toward him. "But you know what; I'm only lying to myself."

"Riku…" she tenderly said, avoiding his eyes.

"Don't worry," he replied, holding her to his chest, enclosing his arms around her. "I just wanna know how it feels like. Could you at least give me that?"

"Riku…" she repeated, unmoving in his arms. "Okay." At first she hesitated, but she slowly touched his back, pressing both hands on the small of his back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he told her, releasing her. "Thank you."

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine…with time," he answered, turning his head away from her. "Can I try one more thing?" he asked after a brief moment.

But before Kairi could answer, Riku cupped her chin in his hands, placing his lips gently on hers. His lips captured hers in a short innocent kiss. Kairi didn't know how to react other than pull her head away slowly.

"I-I'm sorry," he apologized, his face completely red. "I didn't…mean to…actually…"

"Riku! Kairi!" Sora's voice called from above somewhere in the leaves. "Where are you?"

"We're coming," Riku replied, reaching for the next branch. He needed to get away from Kairi quickly before any other urge took control.

Kairi watched him climb the branches quickly, allowing or him to gain some distance. She knew that he needed time away from her to get things settled. As for the kiss, she could let him get away with that. It was the least she could do for him. _Who knows, it might help him let go._

-----

"It's still as beautiful as I remember it," Sora commented, perched on a branch as he gazed out over the horizon. He looked over, expecting Kairi. "Riku?" he asked. "Where's Kairi?"

"Right here!" she answered, pulling herself onto the branch. She looked over at Riku, who was sitting against the trunk of the tree, gazing away from her over the horizon. His eyes were intent on a single point.

"Is something wrong?" Sora questioned her, noticing the serious look on her face.

"No, I was just thinking about something." She lowered herself back onto the lower branch below, her forearm level with the upper branch. Using the upper branch for support, she walked over to where Sora was sitting, standing beside him.

"Is something wrong with Riku?" he asked, worried about his best friend's quiet behavior. "Did something happen between you two?"

"You could say that," she responded, placing her head on Sora's lap. "The view from up here is still amazing."

Sora noticed how she changed the conversation. Instead of pursuing the topic, he agreed with her, running his fingers through the red strands of her hair, holding the tips for a moment before letting them slip from his fingertips. "It's just like when we were little."

"Yeah," she answered, breathing in the scent of his clothes, his smell. It was so familiar, how she laid her head upon his lap. Nothing was different, except back then, her feelings for him weren't as strong.

Sometime later, Riku got up and took a seat above them. When they were little kids, all three of them could sit on a single branch. They wouldn't dare to try placing the weight of three teenage children on one branch. But still, having the three of them together brought memories of their childhood, of simpler days. The morning passed by in silence as the three of them remained at the top of the tree. The worries of life disappeared in their little sanctuary, reminiscent of their younger care-free days.

-----

"Where have you been all morning?" Naminé asked when they returned to the clinic. "The professor was gonna send a search party after you guys."

"We were all just catching up with each other," Kairi answered.

"Well," Naminé responded, "Kaito-sensei wanted me to tell you three that you're going out tonight. He wants you all to prepare yourselves."

"I'm gonna start by getting something to eat," Riku declared, walking toward the kitchen. "Haven't had anything to eat all morning."

"Same here," Kairi said. "Are you coming Sora?"

"I will in a minute. I wanna take care of something first," Sora answered. "I'll catch up with you guys, so go ahead without me."

Sora and Naminé waited until both Kairi and Riku were out of hearing distance before saying anything.

"Roxas says that you've been acting weird ever since Xemnas-sama had a private conversation with you," Naminé stated. "Is something that matter?"

Sora hesitated to answer, but someone other than himself and Xemnas had to know about the power holding his will. "Xemnas is using me to get to Kairi."

"What?" Naminé questioned, unbelieving in Sora's words.

"Xemnas is trying to fulfill an ancient prophecy," Sora clarified. "The marriage of the human world and the vampire world. The marriage between a pure vampire and a human which will grand indescribable powers to the vampire race."

"What is this nonsense, Sora?"

"But no ordinary human will do," he continued. "Only a human with blood much like a pure vampire. That human was Kairo, Kairi's mother."

"Okay, let's say I completely understand," she gave up on stopping him. "Why would someone kill Kairo if she was the destined human?"

"Xemnas isn't the only one thirsting for power," he answered. "Many vampires are also against having the prophecy fulfilled. Kairo got caught in the cross-fire."

"So Kairi, Kairo's daughter, is the next destined human wife of the inter-world marriage?"

"Yes," he replied in a restrained voice. The effects of Xemnas' power were slowly fighting Sora's will.

"Why are you telling me this now?" She seemed convinced about Xemnas' plan. "Why aren't we protecting Kairi from potential danger?"

"Because," he struggled, "I'm the potential danger."

"What?!"

Sora fell to the ground, Xemnas' curse upon him taking full effect. His eyes glowed crimson, the manifest of power unnatural to his status. He stood up, taking Naminé's shoulders in his hands and forcing her to look at him. In a deep voice, he spoke.

"You are to take all the information I supplied you with about the prophecy or any related subject and lock it deeply in your memories, somewhere you can access it."

Naminé's eyes reflected the same crimson color of Sora's as she obeyed the command. As soon as Xemnas' bidding was done, his control over Sora slowly loosened its grip, draining Sora of any will to fight. Again, he collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily for the air that was knocked out of him. Naminé was released for the manifested power, returning to her normal self.

"Sora!" she cried when she saw him struggling for air. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"What…" his labored breathing caused him to stagger his words, "what was…the last…thing I said?"

"Ummm…something about taking care of something before joining Kairi for something to eat." She looked over him, wondering how he ended up on the floor without breath. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I guess I'm a little winded from hunger." He paused to allow transition. "Does Roxas know we're hunting tonight?"

"Not yet," she replied. "Do you want to tell him?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Okay, I'll leave it to you then," she said, still uncertain. "I'll see you later then." She weakly waved bye and walked away, her eyes lingering on him until she left the room.

Frustrated, Sora fell back into one of the chairs. Xemnas didn't have to hold Sora' will to stop him from ruining his plans. If Sora decided to tell someone, he himself would take care of it. That was why Xemnas chose him. Because he had a strong will. He wasn't a normal transformed vampire. He possessed a power that Xemnas wanted, that Xemnas craved. Xemnas was going to take anything to his advantage, take anything to achieve his goal. That included both him and Kairi."

------

After grabbing a pepperoni-and-cheese sandwich from the fridge and placing it in the microwave, Riku scavenged through the refrigerator, looking for a bottled water. Kairi walked into the kitchen, noticing the towel draped on the back of his neck.

"Hey Riku," she said nervously, unsure of how their relationship stood at the moment. There was no need for her to be nervous, but she didn't want to lose him as a friend.

"Hey," he answered, still shuffling through the contents of the fridge without pausing to look at her.

"What's with the towel?" She took a seat at the kitchen table.

The microwave started to beep, meaning that his sandwich was warmed up and ready for consumption. After he found what he was searching for, he stood straight, closed the fridge, and crossed the kitchen for his meal. "Gonna go work out." He took his food, blowing off the heat and started for the door.

"Oh." She didn't know how to answer. "Ummm…." The conversation had died. The air between them became awkward. "Can we talk? About…well, you know." Her eyes followed him as he passed her.

He paused, standing at the door frame. He turned around and looked at her. "I'm fine, Kairi," he told her. "I mean it this time." He smiled.

"But still…" She wanted absolute confirmation he was better, that they could be friends again without the awkwardness between them.

"We can talk later," he stated, turning to continue to the gym.

"Alright." She watched him walk until he took a turn into another hallway. Something told her that things were going to be normal again.

-----

Night fell quickly as the sun plunged below the horizon. They sky settled into a deep starless violet-black with only the light of a new moon to guide the citizens through their nightly passage. Streetlights stood as the only hope for those stumbling in the dark. Even under the aid of these beacons of light, some fell victim to creatures lurking in the very substances of shadows, watching and waiting for a lost soul too foolish to listen to reason to get within their reaches. Many lost voices were drowned in the endless abyss of ongoing darkness. Night cloaked the existence of those who fed on lost souls. It also concealed those who hunted them.

Riku walked into the Briefing Room, drying his blue-silver hair. The majority of his day was spent in the gym, running on the treadmill, pushing his body to its limits. The feel of adrenaline rushing through his blood helped him think. It was true that he finally released his feelings for Kairi. The only thing bothering him was how he would explain the reason for the kiss.

"So," he said, placing the damp towel on the back of a chair before settling into it, "you're really coming with us tonight?"

"I thought that maybe I'd take a walk in your shoes," Roxas answered. "Find out why you enjoy hunting my kind so much."

"Wouldn't it be like killing your own family?"

"I guess you could say that," Roxas agreed, a smile on his lips, "but to lump me together with those creatures is a little insulting."

"I guess my work is done then," Riku stated, enjoying the little taunting between himself and Roxas. "Where's Sora and Kairi?"

"They're probably on their way. She went to his room to get him."

"Well," Riku leaned back into his chair, "they better hurry before Professor blows a gasket."

"Before who blows a gasket?" the Professor walked into the room with two manila envelopes. He gave both Riku and Roxas an envelope. "Where are Sora and Kairi?"

"We're coming!" Kairi's voice drifted from the hallway. Both Sora and Kairi ran into the room, breathless from running. "Sorry we're late," she apologized.

"What were you two doing?" Riku asked. "Making out in his room or something?"

"What?!" Kaito slammed his hands on the wooden desk.

"No, no. It's nothing like that," Kairi explained, waving her hands in protest. "Demyx demanded that I listen to his new song. He slowed us down."

Her father stared at her, unbelieving in her story. "Moving on," he glared at Sora quickly before continuing, "I've got two cases for you four tonight. One in the north side of the city, the other in the east end."

"How are we gonna do two cases in one night?" Kairi questioned.

"You haven't told her yet Sora?" Roxas asked.

"I didn't want to."

"Well," Kaito said, clearing his throat, "since Roxas decided to follow Sora's lead, I let him join. There was no way he was hunting alone and other teams wouldn't allow for a vampire to join them. A team of four seemed foolish, so I have to split you four into two teams."

"Which are?" Riku asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaito replied. "You and Kairi were always my best team. It's gonna stay that way. Since Sora and Roxas joined around the same time, they'll be another team."

"So who's going where?" Sora questioned before Kairi could object.

"Riku and Kairi are northbound. You guys are supposed to search an abandoned factory. Someone called the police reporting that bodies of cats and dogs were found dead and void of blood. You know what to do. You, Sora, and Roxas are going to east to track down the _Renegade_ that got away from another team a few days ago. You're both rookies at this, so be careful."

"Of course," Roxas answered coolly.

"Alright then," Kaito pushed his glasses up to his face, "I'll leave the rest to you."

Without a word, Sora left the room with Roxas following behind him. Kairi watched him leave, feeling the same vibes from him that she had on his first day of school. It must've meant something happened to make him need to avoid her again.

"You know," Kaito announced, "I was going to pair you with Sora, honey. But he came to me saying that he'd be partners with Roxas. I couldn't argue with him."

_So he's avoiding me_, she silently noted to herself. "It's okay, daddy. We're gonna go now."

"Be safe," he told her.

"I will," she responded, starting out the door.

"Watch over her," Kaito asked of Riku as he got up from his seat.

"Like always," Riku answered.

-----

"So, our guy is someone smart enough not to hunt humans, but stupid enough to make it look like animal abuse," Kairi concluded as Riku pulled over in front of the dilapidated building they needed to stop at.

"What kind of _Renegade_is that?" Riku questioned as he stepped out of the car.

"Dunno, but this place sure gives me the chills. It's so dark and spooky," she commented.

Without the light of the moon, the building seemed to be a dark wall of blackness. The broken windows could be barely made out against the structure's face. The sound of chains rattling echoed from the corners of the building.

"Do you still wanna go in?" Riku asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kairi answered, starting for the building.

The two of them proceeded to the door. Its hinges creaked loudly as Riku pushed the door open. Riku pulled a flashlight out of his back pocket and switched it on, illuminating a narrow path for them to follow. Their footsteps ominously echoed on the wood floor, filling the empty building with their presence. Rats scurried across the floor, running for the light as it shone on them, reflecting red in their eyes before they disappeared.

"Are you okay Kairi?" Riku's voice emanated from the darkness. "Do you want to turn back?"

"And what? Run like chickens? I don't think so," she answered. She waited a few seconds before speaking again. "Are things okay between us again?"

"I guess," he replied. "I just needed time to myself to think things over. I realized that I can't keep hoping that one day you'd have the same feelings for me. There's someone out there for me. I've just got to find her. What I should be doing is supporting you, not causing you grief over my problems. Life doesn't always go how you want it."

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"Don't be. It's because of you I've rethought about my life. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me. I didn't think I'd actually do that."

"Let's just pretend it didn't happen," Kairi replied, understanding what he meant.

A gust of wind passed behind them in an unnatural fashion. Both of them could feel another presence in the room, but with only the light of Riku's lone flashlight, nothing but themselves could be seen.

"We've found the human bride," a voice called out. "Looks like we can stop the charade now."

"Seems so," another voice spoke. "I wonder if it's okay to take a little bit of her blood before we give her to Xemnas-sama?"

"I don't think Xemnas-sama would mind if we took just one bite," the first voice answered.

"Riku?" Kairi called out, her voice gripped with fear. They had to be talking about her. No one else was in there but them and Riku certainly wasn't a girl. "Riku? Where are you?"

"Hush now," a withered hand covered her mouth, "we don't wanna hurt your little friend." The voice was feminine, high and airy in tone. "Unless he tries something to hurt us."

"How come you get to go first?" the second voice asked. This one was male in tone, deep and raspy. "I thought of it first."

Kairi tried to break lose, but one of the vampires had taken a hold of her hands and pinned them behind her back. She couldn't reach _Flowering Strength_.

"I'm the one who caught her," the female snapped back. "Besides, I saw her first."

"Kairi? Where are you?" Riku called out in the darkness.

"Tell your friend that you're okay," the female ordered her, uncovering her mouth. "And don't think about trying anything, or else he's going to be our meal."

"R…Riku…" she hesitated, scared more of his fate rather than her own. "…I'm okay."

"Where are you?" he questioned.

Kairi answered before she was told to. She wanted him safe at least. He found something to strive for, something to live for. She was only chasing after someone who was always pushing her away. "I'm trying to find my way out. Help me."

"Alright," he replied. The light of his flashlight was distant now. She watched it wonder aimlessly toward the door.

"Good job," the male spoke. "Way to get rid of him."

"Now," the female tilted Kairi's head to the side, "this will only hurt for a second."

Closing her eyes, Kairi prayed for it to end quickly. _Funny,_ she thought_, I wouldn't be as afraid if Sora tried to take my blood. I never got to tell him how I felt. I wonder if Riku would tell him for me._

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!!! They make me happy. Anyway, what will happen to Kairi? Who will save her? Find out in the next chapter: **The Renegade's Eyes**


	7. The Renegade's Eyes

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

NOTE: The first section of every chapter is usually told from Kairi's POV, whereas the rest is in the third person. "Stained by Sin" is only the working title. Hopefully something better will come to me.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.

* * *

**7. The Renegade's Eyes  
~ Hitomi no Kakera**

I prepared myself for the worst. To have her fangs pierce my skin and siphon blood to satisfy her hunger. To feel my very life escape my breath with every amount she stole from me. To lose consciousness only to meet my fate as the "human bride" of someone named Xemnas.

"Let her go."

Sora's voice? It couldn't be, but when I opened my eyes, there he stood some distance away with the _Keyblade_ in hand, the only thing I could really make out in the darkness.

The two vampires released me and I fell to the ground, feeling all sorts of filthy things scattered on the floor touch my bare legs.

"That's some power you've got there," the male commented. "No wonder Xemnas is after you too."

_Xemnas_. There was that name again. Who could this person be? What kind of power would he be after? What kind of power does Sora possess?

"Of course," Sora concurred, bringing his blade through the two vampires. Well, that was what sounded to happen. "It always leads back to him."

"Sora?" I called out, afraid of the darkness surrounding me. "Sora, where are you?"

"Kairi," he appeared at my side, my shadowy prince of light, "are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm fine, now that you're here." I was starting to feel light-headed again. I was so close to death earlier, its kiss mere inches from my neck. It seemed like at any moment my life could be taken away so easily. Compared to Sora, my existence was fragile, easily broken.

"What did they do to you?" he questioned, supporting me as I started to sway. "What did they tell you?"

"Things I don't understand. Something about a human bride to someone named Xenmnas." I tried to make sense of what I could remember. Who was this Xemnas person? Why would I become his bride? What did they mean by "human" bride?

"Is that all they told you?" he asked. There was a strange urgency in his voice. I wondered why he was so apprehensive about them telling me things I didn't understand.

"I-I can't remember," I told him, searching my mind for anything else they might've said. They didn't say anything other than what they said to Sora, which brought up the questions I had earlier.

"That's good," he stated, the apprehension in his voice gone. "Maybe Xemnas' hold won't activate this time."

"Who is Xemnas?" I blurted out. "And why is he after you?"

"Dammit," he whispered under his breath. "Why did they have to say too much?"

"Who said too much?" For some strange reason, my body tensed as Sora took my shoulders in his hands.

"Kairi," his voice changed suddenly, deep and more vampire-like, "you need to forget everything that happened tonight after you met the two vampires. If you try to recall tonight's events, all that happened was that you fainted." His eyes glowed crimson, just like the eyes of a thirsty _Renegade_, like the eyes of the rats when light found them.

His voice was something I couldn't resist, like the sweetest temptation for the sinful soul. His command filled my mind, hypnotizing my will. Slowly before my eyes, I relived the past ten minutes in reverse. The individual links of time broke as each scene occurred, separating from my chain of memories. I could feel that those pieces of memories were somewhere inside my mind, just lost somewhere.

Then everything went black.

-----

"What are you doing here?" Riku asked Roxas as he rushed past him.

"Chasing after a vampire," he answered, pointing to the night sky. Blades of light surrounded the airborne vampire, slicing through it as Roxas brought his hand down. Smoke filled the sky as the vampire's skin burned from the light blades.

"Nice work," Riku commented, pulling out his _Way to Dawn_, "but let me show you how this is really done." He pulled the trigger, sending a well-aimed bullet at the creature's head. Dust-sprinkled from the sky, raining down upon the building. "Now that's getting the job done."

"How vulgar," Roxas remarked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Where's Sora?" he asked, placing his gun in its protector.

"Isn't he with you and Kairi?"

"Damn!" Riku turned back to the building, remembering that Kairi was somewhere still in the building. "I forgot about her. She must still be in the factory somewhere!"

"So you left her alone?" Sora questioned, landing beside him after leaping out a window with Kairi in his arms. She lay unconscious, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"No, she was looking for a way out of the building," Riku explained in defense for himself. "We got separated somehow."

"So…ra…" Kairi whispered, pulling at Sora's jacket. "The vampires…they're coming for me…"

"Did you find the _Renegade_ you were looking for?" Sora asked Riku as he held Kairi closer to him.

"No," he answered, "it seemed like the building was empty. Did you find any while you were in there?"

"No," Sora lied. _Why make the situation worse than it already was? Best to keep them out of it._

"I guess this was just a wild goose chase to begin with," Riku stated. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think she might've fainted from nerves."

Kairi stirred in his arms, pulling harder at Sora's jacket. She then awoke with a start, looking around at the familiar faces of her friends.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" Sora asked her.

"Yeah," she answered, realizing that she was in Sora's arms, cradled perfectly in the contours of his arms. She felt weightless as he carried her. She liked the feeling of his arms around her, how she fit perfectly against him.

"Thank God," he said, lowering her onto the ground.

"Thanks for finding me," she told him, missing the feeling of him around her.

"We should head back now," Roxas declared, already walking. "The Professor gonna want to know about how we did."

-----

The following week passed by quickly and jobless. The relationship between Sora, Riku, and Kairi had returned to how it had been before Sora left, although Sora still reluctant to allow either of them into his head too much. Both Riku and Kairi noticed that Sora had remained in his room more frequently and he wouldn't allow either of them in. He wouldn't even allow anyone in expect for Demyx, who made a specific threat that scared Sora into letting him in. But Demyx wouldn't say a word about it whenever anyone asked him about Sora's strange behavior.

"Not my place," was all he would say with a shrug and he would turn and walk away, although one could see the faintest glimpse of a smirk on his face.

Demyx being mature was a strange sight and it somehow worried everyone more than Sora's behavior.

But after that week, Sora shut himself in his room less, opting to spend more time with his friends. When his friends questioned him about why he locked himself away, he simply stated that he wasn't feeling well. He was back to his usual happy-go-lucky self, but there was one drastic change in his behavior.

-----

"This makes no sense!" Kairi exclaimed, shutting her chemistry textbook.

"What is it this time?" Riku questioned, looking up from his calculus homework.

"Redox reactions," she answered, dropping her head onto the book. "Just kill me now."

"That can be arranged," Sora told her jokingly. He took her hand and placed it to his lips. "Would you like it quick and painless or long and drawn out?"

"Don't be an idiot, Sora," Roxas said from across the table.

"You're one to talk," he retorted, letting go of her hand. "Here," he slid closer to Kairi, opening her textbook, "let me help."

Kairi was only half-listening. She couldn't help notice how close he was to her now; how he held her waist in his one hand; how he wasn't pushing her away from him anymore.

"It's really a matter of keeping everything balanced," Sora concluded, circling the final balanced equation. "Got it?" he asked, looking at her.

"Yeah," she lied, her face turning red as his sky blue eyes met hers. How embarrassing would've it been if he knew she was paying more attention to his lips than what he was saying?

He stood up, chuckling quietly to himself. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need help," he told her as he walked away.

Riku leaned over and whispered, "I think he knows you weren't paying attention."

"Hey, Kairi!" Demyx called from across the library, only to be attacked by an army of _shhhh_. "You need to come with me now to listen to our set."

"Do I have to?" she mouthed, knowing he could read her lips.

He nodded viciously, waving her over to the exit. Letting out a deep sigh, she gathered her books and made the walk over to the library's exit. Demyx waited until she exited the library and they proceed to the gym.

"Sora's been acting pretty differently lately, hasn't he?" Demyx stated, placing his hands behind his head.

"Yeah," Kairi responded, "why is that?" They turned into the gym.

"Not my place." He gave his usual answer with his usual shrug. "Now," he declared, "get ready for the melodious rockiness from yours truly." He hopped onto the stage and strapped on his guitar, taking his place at the center microphone.

Kairi took a seat on the nearest bench and pulled out her homework. While listening to the set of ten songs, she tried to remember what bits of Sora's lesson she heard. After about ten minutes of trying, she gave up, focusing her attention on the set.

Demyx's band, Melodious Nocturne, consisted of four members: a drummer, a bass player, a guitarist, and Demyx himself. It was obvious that Demyx was the band's leader and front man. He controlled the stage with how he handled the mic, his voice, and the guitar. His voice was a deep tenor, capable of holding low and reaching incredibly high notes. He had the talent to go far in the music industry. Looks and attitude too.

After the final song, Demyx dismissed his fellow band members and hopped off the stage, strolling over to Kairi while strumming a few chords on his guitar. "What'd ya think?"

"Good job," she complimented, giving him small applause. Hearing the sound of her own clapping made her realize that she was the only one there. "The other girls aren't here today."

"So you've noticed," he stated, strumming as he circled her.

"Why am I the only audience you had today? She questioned, turning her head to follow his movements. "Don't you normally want your fans cheering you on?"

"Normally yeah, I'd have them here," he explained, still circling her, "but this is the only time I ever get alone ever since Sora came back."

"What?" She couldn't understand what he was getting at. _Don't tell me that he loves me too?_

"Have you asked Sora to the dance tomorrow?" He stopped moving, standing in front of her while still strumming chords.

"Oh yeah, the dance on Friday. Ladies' Choice," she remembered. "I haven't asked him yet."

"Why?" He ceased strumming. "Were you planning on asking me? How sweet. But I'm afraid I'll hafta let ya down on that. I'm playing. No time for us to be together."

"No, I wasn't gonna ask you," she retorted, laughing at the fact. "I kinda forgot about the whole thing."

"Well," he resumed playing chords, "if you're going with Sora to the dance, you'd better be careful. You never know what could happen," he told her cryptically.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to understand the warning he gave her.

"Not my place," he answered, walking away. He started singing his song "Lust".

"_When I've pushed something to addicting away for too long,/I can't bear it. The temptation is just too strong/I lose all control and the next thing you know,/Lust is all I need."_

------

The next morning, Friday morning, was a nervous one for Kairi. Having Demyx remind her about the dance also made her realize that she still hadn't confessed to Sora yet. She planned on asking him days ago, but homework and personal pride kept getting in the way.

"Morning," she told everyone when she and Riku arrived at the clinic.

They all returned the greeting and fell into their morning routine of walking to school. Demyx, Roxas, and Naminé led the way while Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed. The schoolgirls' presence could be heard behind the gates, warning the males to be cautious. Riku proceeded to the head of the group, creating the path. Roxas and Naminé followed, their fingers touching as they ventured into the massive sea of girls. Demyx was next to go, but that morning, he linked arms with Kairi, and pulled her along. Kairi could feel the glared of disapproval from the fan girls. Sora followed, his eyes narrowed on Demyx, feeling jealously and anger swell in his heart. As they safely entered the main grounds, Demyx broke into a run, dragging Kairi along with him.

"Demyx-senpai," Kairi called, trying to get him to slow down, "what are you doing?"

After making an abrupt turn, Demyx slowed to a stop. "It's just too much fun messing with him."

"What…" she breathed heavily from all the running, "what…are you…trying to do?"

"I'm…just trying to give him a push in the right direction," Demyx answered, heading toward his homeroom. "You should get going too. Before you're late."

------

In Algebra III that day, Taka-sensei decided to use the whole period for his lesson, allowing for no time for Kairi and Sora to talk. The hallways didn't work either because every girl in the school approached Sora to invite him to the dance. He declined every single one in a polite fashion. Luckily, in Chemistry, the teacher was out and the substitute allowed from them to talk while doing the assigned worksheet of redox reactions.

"What was with Demyx today?" Sora asked, angling his chair toward Kairi.

"I don't quite know myself," Kairi answered, a little uneasy. "He dragged me to my homeroom and then let me go. It was a little weird."

"Oh." He circled a finished equation. "Did you ask anyone to the dance yet?"

Her hand froze on the equation she was struggling with. The dance was a topic she'd rather not talk about until her pride wasn't afraid of rejection. "Uh…no, not yet."

"You planning on asking anyone?" he responded, drawing an arrow on his worksheet toward himself.

_Just ask him, _she mentally told herself, _Tell him that he's the one you wanna ask_. She got her hand moving again. "Dunno," she blurted out.

"Oh." He erased the arrow he drew earlier.

_Way to blow it, Kairi. Perfect opportunity and you blew it_, she thought, bouncing the pencil on the top of her head. "Who do you think Naminé's going to ask?" she said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Isn't that obvious?" he answered, marking addition on his paper. "Roxas and Naminé are practically a couple."

"Practically?"

"Neither of them have asked the other out, but yet they're always together. It's always been that way ever since I knew them."

"Oh," she said, finally achieving an answer and checking it with Sora's. "Think Riku's been asked yet?"

"Probably," Sora figured, working on his final problem. "But isn't he going to be like a guardian or something?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be on watch too, but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy ourselves." She circled one her finished answered. "Has anyone asked you yet?"

"Just about every girl in this whole school," he answered, drawing an arrow in Kairi's direction. "But I'm still waiting for the right person to ask me."

"Really?" she asked, putting down her pencil and leaning closer to him. "Do you have this person in mind?"

"Yeah," he placed his pencil on the desk and turned to her. "I do."

"Do I know her?" she questioned, placing her hand next to his.

"Yeah, you do." His fingertips brushed hers before he firmly took her hand in his. He moved his chair closer to hers, their knees touching slightly when he settled back into his seat. "You're both pretty similar, practically the same person."

"And you said that she didn't ask you yet?" She closed her fingers around his, placing her head gingerly on his shoulder, taking in his scent.

"Not yet." He placed her hand to his chest, where she could feel the steady beating of his ever-slowing heart. "But that's okay if she doesn't though."

"Why?"

"Because I've got you by my side right now," he opened her hand, "what more do I need?" He took her fingertips to his lips, kissing them tenderly, tasting each fingerprint. His lips were soft against her skin, the feeling lingering as he kissed each individual finger.

Then the whole class, or at least the girl population, gasped loudly, startling Kairi into a sitting position. Sora jumped, falling out of his seat and collapsing on the floor, the chair landing on top of him.

"_Kozo_….uhh," the substitute checked his seating chart, "Sora, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he stood up, placing the chair back where it belonged. "Just fell out of my seat." He sat down in his chair, showing that he was okay.

Kairi resumed her worksheet, only having completed five of the fifteen equations in the last twenty-five minutes. The rest of the class had completed the work, that's how the girls had been watching her and Sora.

"Do you wanna go to the nurse's office?" the substitute asked him.

"I don't think I need to go," Sora replied, "but I'd like to use the bathroom if that's okay?"

"Go ahead," the teacher responded, returning to the newspaper he was reading.

"_Arigatou_," he said, leaving the room carrying his school bag over his shoulder. Kairi noticed the tight hold he had on the handle.

He didn't return to class till the very last minute, which the teacher didn't question him about. He was the first one out the door. Kairi didn't get another chance to see him until lunch. She wondered why he had been behaving so sporadically.

"Hey Kairi," Naminé greeted her, creating space for her to take a seat. "Haven't talked to you all day. How've you been?"

"Pretty good," she answered, taking a bit out of her veggie wrap. "You?"

"Same here," Naminé replied, pushing the food around her plate.

"Are you going to the dance tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Who with?"

There was a slight delay in her answer. "Roxas."

"So you asked him?"

"Well, no, but it just seems natural for us to go together." Naminé changed the subject. "Did you ask Sora yet?"

"Not yet," she replied, her face turning red. She quickly took a bite of her wrap, noticing how Naminé hadn't touched her food yet. "Do you guys need to eat?"

"We don't need to eat," she took a bite of the salad she prepared, "but we can. If we do, it's best for us to stay away from meat. It reminds us too much of blood."

"Your life seems so easy," Kairi commented, taking a sip form her milk. "You don't have to worry about eating and drinking. Sleep isn't a necessary either. Do you guys get hurt?"

"Yeah, but it takes a lot more to hurt our kind," Naminé explained. "Mere paper cuts and kicking a chair won't really bruise us." She smiled, although there was something forced about it.

"But you'd trade all that just so you wouldn't need to drink blood, wouldn't you?" Kairi concluded.

"Yes. Although it doesn't seem like it, I have to restrain myself right now to not drink your blood. To drink anyone's blood," she stated, a sad smile on her face. "The thought of wanting to drink anyone's blood scares me. I don't want to hurt anyone, but in my thoughts, people are always harmed."

"I never knew it was that hard," Kairi said, feeling sorry for believing that a vampire's life was so easy.

"That's because I make it look so easy," Naminé joked, smiling genuinely. "Let's talk about something else for now. What are you going to wear tonight?"

"I forgot a dress!" Kairi exclaimed. "What am I gonna do? There's no way I can get one this late."

"Don't worry," Naminé told her. "I got you one. I figured that you might've forgotten, so I went head and got you one."

"Naminé," Kairi hugged her friend around the neck, "you're a lifesaver!"

"Don't mention it," she told her, returning the hug.

Kairi let go of her friend and returned to her lunch, noticing how it had been only the two of them at the lunch table. "Where are the guys? Lunch is close to over."

"Oh, they decided to have a boys' day and are eating over there," Naminé stated, pointing to a table not too far from them.

Kairi looked over, noticing how Demyx was watching her. She looked over to Sora, who was glaring at Demyx with a look ready to throw him across the cafeteria. Then he looked over at her, waving to her before he resumed pushing the food around his plate. Roxas was looking irritated as usual while Riku was rather amused.

"They seem to be having fun," Kairi commented, finishing the last of her drink and getting up to dispose of her trash.

"I believe it was Demyx's idea." Naminé pointed out, getting up after Kairi to get rid of the salad she only took one bite of.

"That explains a lot."

-----

"You have thirty minutes to finish your assignment," Axel instructed, taking a seat at his desk. "You can work in groups of only three max. Write all names on each paper. Hand them to me once you're finished." He leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet onto the desk.

Demyx got up from his seat and pulled a chair next to Sora's desk. "So how about the three of us teaming up together?"

"Why not?" Sora answered, moving his textbook to make room for Demyx's book.

"Just as long as he doesn't slow us down," Roxas stated, placing Demyx's name on his paper.

The three worked quickly, finishing the assigned paper within ten minutes. Axel didn't look surprised when the three handed in their completed sheet. He was rather proud and amused, like he was expecting them to finish first. "Nothing less from you three, my special students."

They returned to their seats, but Demyx sat in the chair beside Sora's desk. "So, has Kairi asked you anything yet?"

"About what?" he answered nonchalantly.

"You know," Demyx reclined on the back of his chair, folding his hands behind his head, "about the dance."

"Well, not yet," Sora replied, feeling suspicious about what Demyx was getting at.

"She asked me," he said confidently, smirking. "I had to turn her down though. It wouldn't have seemed right for us to be together."

"Really?" he questioned, defeat in his voice. _Maybe she did move on…_

"No," Demyx replied flatly, a chuckle on his lips. "It's just too much fun messing with you. You should've seen the look on your face. It was priceless."

"Shut up," Roxas told Demyx, slightly irritated. "You're getting really annoying today."

"Hey!" Demyx shouted, slamming his hands on Sora's desk. "I take offense to that."

"Good," Roxas replied, somewhat satisfied. "That's what it meant."

Axel cleared his throat from his desk in the front of the room. Demyx settled down, afraid of being reprimanded.

"I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day," Demyx told Roxas, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't have a problem with that," Roxas retorted. "It'd be nice to not hear your voice for the rest of the day."

"I take —" Demyx started, but he stopped when he remembered what he just said. He settled back into his chair. He then remembered something, leaning forward toward Sora so no one else could her. "You know, I've noticed that there's something special about Kairi."

"Like what?"? Sora questioned, making a mental list of all the things he loved about her. It was quite long, practically endless when he really thought about it.

"Did you notice how she's different from the rest of _them_?" he answered, meaning the human population. "Somethin' about her makes her more like us. I've only noticed recently, but when you compare her to Riku, there's a different atmosphere about her."

"You've noticed too?" Roxas contributed, quietly listening in on the conversation. "It's like she's one of us, but she isn't. But you can't say that she's completely human. There's something so tempting about her…it just makes you want to bite her."

"You guys are nuts," Sora stated, an unseen worry bubbling under the surface of his façade. "Kairi's completely human. What else would she be?"

"No," Demyx responded, "she's human, but there's something supernatural about her. Something about her blood…it's such a temptation. Would you happen to know anything more about that, Sora?"

"Why would Sora know anything about it?" Roxas spoke, their contract of mutual silence clearly broken at this point. "He doesn't even notice it. It's probably something only we _Nobles_ can notice."

"I know differently," Demyx retaliated, drumming his fingers against his neck. "Don't I, Sora?"

The situation was gaining advantage against Sora's favor. Demyx started drumming his fingers on Sora's desk, pressing one hand against the left side of his neck. His fingers twitched slightly, his fingernails digging slightly into his skin at the place where Sora had left his mark on Kairi.

"I think you've struck a broken chord, Demyx," Roxas commented. "How would you know any better than I do?"

"Fine," Demyx leaned back into his chair, folding his arms across his chest, "I'll prove it to you. Sora would know more about Kairi's blood because he dra—Ahhh!" He landed on the floor with a thud. His chair had somehow tipped itself over too much, the balance unsteady.

"You do that?" Roxas asked Sora, who was staring around at the air about his head, trying to look as if he hadn't noticed that Demyx had somehow ended up on the floor.

"I guess my foot slipped," Sora answered, his signature childish grin plastered on his face. He repeated what he had accidently purposefully done, sliding his foot from where Demyx's chair to its resting spot under his seat. "I completely meant to do – I mean, I don't know how that could've happened."

"Way to go," Roxas congratulated Sora, satisfied at the pained look on Demyx's face. "You should've done that sooner."

"Demyx," Axel called from his desk in the front of the class, standing up from his seat, "returned to your assigned seat."

"But they started it," Demyx muttered quietly to himself as he sulked back to his desk. He sunk into it, placing his head on the desk, irritated at his humiliation in front of the class.

Axel resumed his seat, a slight smirk of satisfaction briefly dressing his lips.

------

"You clean up good," Riku stated, walking into Sora's nearly furniture bare room. He took a seat on the messy bed that wasn't made, the only piece of furniture that could support human weight. His only other option was a small wooden table with a desk lamp on it. "Wait till Kairi sees you."

"Where is Kairi?" Sora questioned, walking over to the bathroom with a lilac tie in hand. "I haven't seen her all day since lunch." He turned on the bathroom light, even though he could see perfectly in complete darkness. It was just one of those human habits that he had never quite given up. For once in the past year, he didn't hate his reflection when he looked at it. He checked over his black dress pants for unwanted lint sticking to the material and made sure his white button down was tucked properly.

"She had to guard Demyx, who decided to have band practice before the dance," Riku answered, standing against the doorframe, watching his friend tie the necktie around the collar of his shirt. "I've gotta ask. Why purple?"

"It's not purple, it's lilac," Sora retorted, scaring himself by quoting Naminé when he himself made the same comment. "I dunno why. Naminé gave it to me and told me to wear it." He adjusted the length of the tie while giving himself one last check over in the mirror.

"Got Naminé dressing you now?" Riku commented, walking over to the mirror himself. He also wore dress pants, but of a darker shade of navy blue. His button down was the light tint of baby blue, barely noticeable to the eye and left untucked. His top buttons were also left open, his whole look much more relaxed than Sora's formal attire. "You must really be trying to impress Kairi now."

"Naminé only gave me the tie," Sora stated. "I picked out the rest of my clothes, for your information." He looked in the mirror again and messed with his tie. "Do I look okay?" he nervously asked his friend.

Riku rolled his eyes, amused at how nervous his friend was. Sora had nothing to worry about. Kairi loved him before when they were kids and she even accepted him now when he became a vampire. "What kind of flower did you get her?"

"What? Flower?" Sora froze, remembering that he had forgotten to remember to buy Kairi's corsage. "I completely didn't remember."

"Lucky for you," Riku tossed a small red box at him, "I did."

"You knew I'd forget," Sora said as he caught the box in one hand above his head, "didn't you?"

"Actually, Naminé told me that you were probably going to forget," Riku told Sora. "That girl's got amazing memory. It seems like she'd never forget anything."

"Really?" Sora chuckled, a slight nervousness in his voice. "I guess I'll have to thank her later then." Inside, he hoped that Riku's observation wasn't solidly concrete. He needed for Naminé to never recall that conversation. Because if she did, it would be the trigger for a chain of events he wanted to avoid.

"You ready to go?" Riku questioned, leaning now against the doorframe of the door between Sora's room and the hallway. "We've gotta meet the girls at the school."

"Naminé went with Kairi too?"

"Yeah," Roxas answered, passing Riku as he walked into Sora's room. "She went with Kairi to get ready for the dance. You're lookin' pretty sharp," he told Sora as Sora strolled out of the bathroom.

"Thanks," he replied, messing with his tie again. "You don't look bad yourself." Much like Sora, Roxas had on black dress pants and button-down shirt, tucked. His shirt had an emblem emblazed on his upper back, the detail of his zipper from his usual attire. His top buttons were left opened too. His clothes reflected his personality, confident and cool.

"Ready to go?" Roxas asked, leaning against the wall adjacent to the door.

"I guess," Sora responded, his voice uneasy. Why was he so nervous? It was only a school dance. Was it because he now realized his only weakness was the girl he wanted to protect? That his growing need for her was its strongest when she was in his arms? That he wanted not only to have her to be his but to also drink her sweet blood till her very last breath to only want more? She was perfection in his eyes, but she could the one only mistake he made. She could be the one to break his fighting will, to make him cause the one thing that satisfied and hurt himself more than it did her. She was the only person who could bring out the true vampire in him.

-----

"My, my, miss Kairi," Demyx commented as Kairi returned to the school's private ballroom where the dance was being held, "you're looking pretty beautiful this evening. Sora's one lucky guy to get you all to himself all evening."

"Uh…thanks," she said, the thin golden bangles around her left wrist jingling together as she walked. The lilac fabric of her dress clung to her body perfectly, moving with it as she moved. The dress was a halter top with a plunging V-neckline embroidered with silver gems along the fabric's edge. The bottom half was of the same fabric, reaching just below her knee with a slit running up her left front side, ending about mid-thigh. Silver heels dressed her feet, straps crossing back and forth over her ankles. "I didn't think that Naminé would pick something so risky."

"Risky…beautiful…dangerous…" Demyx observed, circling around her. "Now I wish I wasn't playing. If I could get the evening just to stare at you..." he moved closer, taking a strand of hair in his hand. "…to take in your beauty…" he moved closer to her neck, "…to drink in your delicious scent…"

Kairi pulled herself away, protecting her neck with her hand. "Demyx-senpai!"

"What do you think you're doing with my girl, Demyx?" Sora called from across the ballroom.

"Sora!" Kairi said, no longer feeling insecure about the dress.

"What?" Riku questioned. "I don't get a welcome too?"

The two boys crossed the ballroom, joining Demyx and Kairi in front of the stage. Kairi giggled when she saw their reaction to her attire. Riku's eyes widened, but when he realized he was staring, he quickly put his eyes back in his head.

"Nice dress," Riku said, _coughing_ so he could cover his red cheeks.

"Thanks," she answered, smiling at her effect on him.

"You look…p-pretty," Sora stuttered, trying to keep his eyes from wondering to a certain area of exposed skin on Kairi's chest.

"Thank you," she replied, blushing as she watched his blue eyes wonder all over her body. "You guys don't look so bad yourselves."

"That's because Naminé dressed Sora," Riku joked.

"All she did was throw me this tie and tell me to wear it," Sora retorted. "I understand now why it's lilac." It was the same exact color of Kairi's dress.

"Where's Roxas?" Demyx asked, inserting himself into the conversation. "Wasn't he supposed to be with you guys?"

"He went to go check on Naminé," Riku answered, hearing the distant mumble of the school as they approached the building. "Looks like everyone else is here."

"I better get the rest of the guys and start playing," Demyx announced, walking to another room. "They did come to hear my melodious talent."

"I've gotta go stand watch," Rik stated, starting to the ballroom entrance. "You two play nice."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora called, but Riku only chuckled and waved at them as he walked away for an answer.

"It's sad that he doesn't have a date," Kairi noted, watching one of her closest friends walk away. A part of her wished that she could ask him, but he already had his mind set on keeping watch, on both Demyx and the school girls.

"What about me? I don't got one either," Sora remarked, his signature grin on his face. "Maybe I should join him?"

"Wait!" She grabbed his hand as he started walking away, pulling him toward her. "You know…I've been meaning…" she couldn't look up at his face, focusing her eyes on the tiling on the floor as she held onto his wrist. "You see…earlier I wanted to ask…if…you wanted to…come to the dance with…me?" She braced herself for his answer, fearing the worst and praying for the best.

"I was wonderin' when you were gonna ask me," Sora replied, pulling out the box Riku had given him. He opened it and pulled out the baby pink rose, fitting it t her slender wrist. "If you haven't quite figured it out, that was a yes."

"Finally!" Naminé exclaimed over the low murmur of the slowly growing crowd. "I never thought you were gonna ask him," she added, a bit more subtly.

"Way to embarrass them, Naminé," Roxas told her, hands in his pockets as he looked around the ballroom. "Half of the room's starin' at them now. Besides, you didn't even ask me, so who are you to criticize?"

"Well, Roxas," Naminé answered, taking one hand in hers as she leaned into his chest, "I don't have to ask you, remember?" She laid his hand across her waist, placing his hand on her hip.

"Okay, you're right about that," he agreed, kissing the top of her blonde head. He admired the girl in his arms, complimenting her repeatedly about how she looked. "You look gorgeous tonight."

"Thank you," she giggled, kissing his neck. She chose a rather simple white gown that draped to her ankles. It had a heart-shaped neckline with thin straps to hold the dress up. The material flowed over her body, accentuating her curves. White heels and a simple elegant gold necklace completed her look.

"Good evening!" Demyx shouted into the microphone, playing a chord on his guitar to catch everyone's attention. "Is everyone ready for the rockin' tunes of Melodious Nocturne?!"

There was an array of approvals from the crowd. In the past five minutes, the ballroom became packed and the main lights dimmed, replaced by small colored spotlights.

"Get ready for a night filled with rockin' songs sung by yours truly, Demyx and the Melodious Nocturne!" he replied, playing the first chords of a song as the other band members soon joined in. He was wearing attire more fit for a rock concert than a semi-formal dance. His button-down was black and he wore ripped stone-washed jeans.

"Come on Kairi!" Naminé pulled her friend into the crowd by the wrist. "Let's dance!"

The boys followed after them, making their way through the sea of moving bodies. Naminé dragged them under a red spotlight, deeming it the "perfect dance spot." The four of them danced together, Riku joining them sometime later for a short while.

Demyx did what naturally came to him on the stage. He owned it, gracing it with his presence as he ripped chords on his guitar while singing into the mic with his perfect tenor. After three or four songs, the DJ took his place while Demyx rested his voice. Regardless of the music, the whole room was dancing as long as there was something playing.

Sora couldn't take his eyes away from Kairi the whole night. He watched how her body moved to the music. Her hips shaking in rhythm to the beat, her hands waving about her like they were separate from her whole being, her feet stepping to the music like a professional dancer in the silver strappy heels. But it was how her hair flung about her neck that captivated him most. With every passing song, his will gave in to his fighting nature, but he kept in mind who he really was. It was easier to enjoy the night, enjoy having Kairi watch him, if he wasn't fighting the nature which had become a part of him. Just as long as he restrained himself from satisfying the strong urge to feed his thirst.

After half the night was lost, Demyx returned to the mic, returning from his third break. "I'm gonna slow things down a bit," he announced as he strapped on his guitar, "with a ballad I wrote just recently. Hope you enjoy."

The dancefloor quickly emptied, only couples remaining as they circled each other. Sora and Kairi looked at each other, wondering if they should. He reached out his hand to her, which she accepted with a smile. Placing his hands on her hips as she wrapped her hands around his neck, they swayed around each other slowly. Having her close to him made his will fall from his grasp faster. Making him more vulnerable to his vampire side. But I was when Kairi placed her head on his shoulder, when he was able to fully take in her scent, when she exposed the flesh of her neck to him, that his will collapsed, that his darker side took control.

"_I can't resist that tempting kiss I want to place upon your neck…"_

Before his body completely gave in, Sora let go of her, pulling her hands off his neck, and rushed out of the room. Kairi, after shaking off the shock, followed after him, moving only as fast as the heels of her feet allowed.

-----

Sora stumbled into an empty room, breathing heavily as he clutched at his chest. His throat was burning from thirst, stronger than it had ever happened before. After that night when he first tasted Kairi's blood, his body craved it, addicted to its taste. It was the only thing he wanted, the only thing his body lusted for. His eyes flashed the color of blood and an unbearable pain struck through his body. He suppressed the scream rising in his burning throat. But the more he fought the hunger, the more his body fought back. Soon, his eyes were fixed to the red color, the pain continuously pulsing throughout his body. It was too much for him to bear and he relented, allowing for his scream to fill the room, to resonate in his ears.

A shadow appeared in the light from the hallway. "Sora," Kairi said, "are you okay?" She saw him slumped against the wall, his hand grabbing at his shirt as he breathed painfully. Walking over to him, she could hear the clicking of her heels compliment the growing pain in his breathing. She knelt beside him, touching his shoulder lightly. "Sora, tell me what's wrong," she told him, keeping her voice steady.

He turned and looked at her, his eyes crimson red.

* * *

Continues in the next chapter: **Secrets Unfold.**

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Sharing love with everyone out there! Oh, and I'll be taking a brief hiatus so I can get a little further on my writing. Don't worry though, I'll be back soon with another chapter.


	8. Secrets Unfold

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.

NOTE: I'm sorry for suddenly having disappeared. I had late-night rehearsals at school with my musical, but our last show was last Friday, so I'm back and writing! Please enjoy!

* * *

**8. Secrets Unfold  
****~ Kodoku~**

He staggered into a dark empty room, his walking heavy with each step he took. I followed him into the dark room, standing at the door, the only place where light shone into the darkness. My shadow, the dark reflection of my heart, was at its longest at that place and blended into the darkness with every step I took. My heels clicked with each movement, clicked with each labored breath he gasped. I knelt beside him and touched his shoulder, which trembled under my fingertips.

I was pretty sure I asked him something, but when I saw the red color, the color of blood, in his eyes, it was the only thing on my mind. He was thirsty for blood and his body was violently telling him of this detail. He would continue to suffer, his body tormenting him, unless he drank to quench the thirst.

"Here," I offered, brushing the hair away on the left side to expose my neck. It didn't matter to me that he could hurt me. To watch him suffer from afar and not be able to help him was more than pain enough. To watch him in pain pulled at my heart; his every heavy breath sliced at him inside; to me, it was worse than death to have him suffer alone.

I wanted to suffer with him.

"N-no," he gasped. I could hear how hard he was fighting in his voice.

"Don't argue with me," I told him.

I did not expect what happened next.

All it took was for me to blink. In that fragmented time of blindness, I felt my body be jerked in a direction, which I presumed was toward Sora. My wrists were captured in his hands, locked above my head where I lost mobility of my arms. My feet where knocked out from under me and my knees banged against the tiled ground. When I opened my eyes, I was facing the door with Sora kissing the side of my neck. My skin shivered as his tongue tasted my flesh. I heard his breath catch in his throat, exhaling excitement as he proceeded to pierce my skin.

"Go ahead," I told him when I felt his warm breath cool my skin. "Don't hesitate." I wanted him to bite me, for him to drink my blood, to savor its very taste. If it would stop him from suffering, I was willing to endure a little bit for pain for his sake.

Then something sharp broke through my skin. I bit my lip to suppress my scream. I heard it again, the sound of him drinking my blood. I looked from the corner of my eye. He drank as if his life depended on it, which I guess it did. But there was an air of desperation about how he drank, like he wanted my blood desperately and desperately didn't want it at the same time.

"H-how does it taste?" I asked, hoping he would stop before he took too much. That seemed to work because he pulled away, a lusted look in his red eyes.

"It's the most disgusting thing in the world…" he said, still holding my arms in a locked position. I wasn't sure if I should've been insulted or not. "…because it's the most delicious thing I've ever tasted…it's the only thing that my body craves." He let me go, my hands slapping the ground.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, holding my hand to his bite on my neck to stop the blood from flowing freely.

"How can I be?" he answered, turning his face away from me. "I've hurt you again. I wanted to drink until you were within the last breaths of your life. What kind of horrible monster have I turned into?"

"It's okay, Sora," I explained to him, wiping away the blood that stained his cheeks. The light caused it to glow eerily in the dark and for some strange reason, I wanted to taste it to understand why he craved it. "If it eases your suffering, I don't mind getting hurt." I took his head in my hands and made him look at me. My blood ran on his lips, glowing strangely as the urge to taste it and Sora's lips slowly grew stronger. "As long as I can be hurt when you are, I'll be fine." It didn't matter to me that his lips were stained by a sin we both committed, that my blood was on his hands, that his mark was on my neck. His pain was my pain, his joy as my joy, his sin was my sin. It didn't matter, nothing mattered anymore. I kissed him, tasting how my blood tasted on his lips as he kissed me back.

As long as I could remain by his side, nothing else mattered.

-----

Roxas walked into that room, looking for Sora and Kairi when they didn't return to the ballroom. It was understood between him, Naminé, and Riku to let Kairi and Sora to themselves. But when half an hour passed and they didn't return, the trio began to worry. They knew about how Sora's body wouldn't accept the blood tablets, that his body would somehow only desire true blood.

They weren't worried about what Sora could do to Kairi, even though he could hurt her. Kairi was a strong girl who could handle that type of situation. But Kairi could've been Sora's breaking point, the one destined to be his prey, the person whose blood was the only thing he would drink.

In the dark room where the only light was from the open door, Roxas didn't find anything. As he turned to walk out of the room, a tantalizing scent caught his attention. He then noticed the single spot of dried blood on the floor, glistening in the light. Kneeling beside it, he licked his finger and wiped it across the floor, taking come of the blood on his finger. He couldn't resist the urge for blood once the scent was there. It didn't matter that it was on the floor, he licked it off his finger, savoring the sweet taste he had refrained from for years. Before he bent over and licked the rest of it off the floor, Roxas regained himself, restraining from doing anything he deemed humiliating.

Then a thought about the taste of the blood struck him. That the blood wasn't human…it tasted like the blood of a _Superior_ status vampire. The only other blood that vampires sought other than humans. If indeed Sora lost all sense and bit Kairi, did that mean Kairi was a vampire? Or did Sora bit a _Superior_ vampire instead?

"Roxas?" Naminé's quiet voice floated in the room from the hallway. Her shadow stood at the door. "Did you find them?"

"No," he stated, walking out of the room quickly before Naminé could catch the scent of blood in the air. "Did you?" He didn't want anyone else to find out that Sora had bit someone, if that was the case. But questions would definitely arise if the _Superior_ blood was found.

"I didn't find them," she replied, following him as he proceeded down the hallway. "Riku doesn't know here they are either."

"Do you think he did it?" Roxas asked her, his voice low as his eyes watched Riku come down the hallway toward them.

"I don't know," she answered, also keeping her voice down. "Part of me wanted to say no, but something deep inside my mind tells me otherwise. It's not saying yes, but it's says that there's a strong possibility he did..."

"I think they might've left," Riku told them when he walked up to them. "It's not like them to just disappear without telling anyone."

"Maybe they wanted to be alone," Naminé suggested.

"That's probably it," Roxas agreed, his eyes flickering back into the dark room, remembering the blood stain, how it tasted. "Maybe we should just let them be for the night."

"Yeah, we probably should," Riku agreed, proceeding down the hallway back to the ballroom. "You guys can leave if you want. I'll stay and keep an eye on Demyx for the rest of the night."

-----

"Kairi, what's taking so long in there?" Sora asked, banging the back of his head on the door as he leaned against it. Impatiently, he hit his knuckles on the wood and slid to the floor.

"Okay, okay," Kairi answered, opening the door. Sora fell back onto the tiled flooring of the bathroom. He sat up, ignoring the ringing sound in his ears. Kneeling quickly beside him, Kairi questioned if he was hurt. "Sora! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I would be better if you had warned me that you were going to open the door."

"How was I supposed to know you were leaning on the door?" she retorted. "Besides, you were the one who was rushing me." She stood and turned away from him in mock anger.

"Okay, you're right about that," he relented, helping himself off the ground. "But that doesn't explain why you took over twenty minutes in there?"

"Excuse me for being a girl," she responded as a matter of fact. "And I had to wash the blood out of the ends of my hair," she stated, holding up a damp strand of her red hair to prove her point.

"Oh…yeah, I forgot about that," he said, recalling that it was his fangs which left her with those markings on her neck. "I'm sorry."

"You know, I really missed you," she told him, turning around to face him. Her ocean green eyes looked into his, locking into a gentle gaze. "I still really miss you."

"I'm here now, aren't I?" he said, placing his fingers on her shoulder. "Right by your side."

"Yeah, but…" she paused, trying to find the right words, her eyes searching. "…you've changed. You're different."

"Different?" He scratched the top of his head, wondering what she could possibly mean. "How?"

"You're so distant and cold now," she saw his expression change into a look of minor shock. She elaborated, "Face it Sora. When I first met you, you were so warm, open, and happy. But ever since you've come back, I feel like I don't know you sometimes."

"Well, I guess you're right about that," he agreed, dropping his hand from his head. "I have changed. I'm a vampire now. I'm no longer human anymore."

"I don't care about that."

"You don't understand what I'm going through," he stated. "You don't understand how hard it is for me to be around you. How thirsty you make me feel. How much danger you're in when I'm with you."

"Then explain it to me," Kairi told him, walking closer to him. "Tell me about what happened to you so I can understand." She moved her hand to his lips, parting them with her fingers. His fangs were bared. She touched the sharp tip of one. "Tell me about the _you_ behind these fangs."

Sora took her wrist, holding her hand in front of his face. He smelled the rich tempting smell of her blood in the air around them. She had cut herself when she touched his fangs, a single drop of blood forming on her finger. Instinct took over and he opened his lips. He looked at her, silently waiting for approval. She nodded her head without hesitation and he placed her finger to his lips. He licked off the blood and drew a little more, restraining from allowing his animalistic instincts to take over by letting go of her wrist. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, looking at her with curious eyes. The eyes he met were full of curiosity, her green eyes wondering along his face, searching. His lips broke into a smile and so did hers.

"Come with me," Sora told Kairi, opening the window to the warm night air. "I'll tell you everything, just come with me."

Without reluctance, she placed her hand in his and he pulled her out into the moonlit night.

-----

"Where's Sora and Kairi?" Demyx asked Riku as he started packing up. The night was nearly half over when the ballroom emptied out. "What about Roxas and Naminé? Did they leave already?"

"I guess they all did," Riku answered, his eyes watching the door. He had a feeling that something wrong had happened.

"I'm guessing you know that Sora bit Kairi a couple weeks ago," Demyx stated, packing his guitar. "You're thinking he did it again, aren't you?"

"The first time was in inevitable. He hadn't tasted blood yet. His body wanted it and it drove him to bite her." Riku shifted his eyes from the exit to the smirk on Demyx's face. "There's no way that he would allow himself to drink her blood again…" he trailed off, afraid to find the taboo thought.

"But what if Kairi's offering it to him?" Demyx asked him. "Sora wouldn't dare touch her again, but if she offers, if she tempts him, it just might break his will. She just might be his weakness."

"That's what I'm worried about."

"Good," Demyx agreed. "I would be too if I were you."

Demyx's statement struck odd with Riku. _Does this airhead know more than he lets on?_ he questioned silently. "Why?" he asked aloud, "Do you know something?"

"Not my place," Demyx answered, grabbing his case as he shrugged his shoulders. Heading for the exit, he smirked a smile no one else could see.

-----

"Is something bothering you, Roxas?" Naminé questioned him. "You've been quiet for a while now."

"Nah," he answered. They were back at the clinic, in his room. He was reclining on his bed while she sat across from him in a chair, drawing. She put down her pencil and pad on her lap, looking at the blond haired boy in front of her.

"You're lying," she stated, getting up and moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"No, I'm not," he replied immediately, a habit he developed when anyone accused him of lying when he actually was.

"Yeah, you are," she countered. "But that doesn't matter. I just remembered something."

"What would that be?"

"That's there's this hole in my memories."

"But you never forget anything," Roxas stated, sitting up in surprise. "Your memory is your gift as a _Noble_ vampire, just like mine's the ability to physically manipulate light. There's no way that there could be a hold in your memories."

"But there is," she touched the side of his face. "See for yourself."

It was also in Naminé's gift to project her memories into the minds of others, but only with physical contact. Whoever had this experience felt as if they were really there. Every movement, touch, smell, and sound she had experienced, they experienced.

Roxas closed his eyes, watching a moment in time pass in his mind. He heard Sora say something about taking care of some business, noticing the anxiousness in his voice. Then blackness, just like a curtain dropping on a stage, plunging everything into nothingness. After of few moments of being lost, his 'sight' returned, but the scene has suddenly changed. Sora was on the ground, as if someone had punched him in the stomach. Then _his _sight returned and he was looking at Naminé.

"What was that?" Roxas questioned, blinking his blurry vision away. "How come there's that gap there?"

"I dunno why," Naminé answered, "and I'm worried about it."

"What do you think happened at that time?" he questioned. "Maybe you were knocked out or something?"

"What happened before and after doesn't match up," she explained. "If I got knocked out, I would've remembered waking up, but no. Once second, I'm talking to Sora and then the next, he's on the ground in pain. I don't remember what happened in between."

"That's strange," he commented, feeling Naminé running her fingers along his cheek.

"Now…" she said, placing her hands on her lap, "do you want to tell me about the blood that you found at the school?"

"How do you…" he paused, remembering that she could sample another person's memory through contact. "It was nothing."

"You're lying," she stated, outlining his face with her fingertips.

Roxas relented, smiling weakly in defeat. He couldn't hide anything from her, as her with him. That was how it worked when they were destined to be together.

-----

Moonlight filled the ebony night sky, casting a silver glow upon everything. The warm wind blew across the black canvas, pushing the few wispy clouds across the face of a full moon. Stars twinkled brightly, scattered across the black backdrop. Some stars clustered together in small groupings while other remained lonesome in their own corner of the universe.

Sora and Kairi were sitting on top of the roof of her house, watching the stars play in the sky. Kairi glanced over at him, noticing how his skin seemed so pale, but somehow in the moonlight, it appeared healthy. The moon reflected in his blue eyes, making them look youthful and happy. His appearance overall was changed, as if the moon gave him back his lust for life, allowing him to return to a worry-free life. She turned and looked at the moon, feeling its light bathe her face with a serene calmness as she curled her knees up to her chin.

"Are you cold?" Sora asked her. "Do you wanna go back inside?"

"No, I'm fine," she answered, straightening her legs. Her flannel pajama Capri's provided enough skin coverage to keep her legs warm. She was feeling comfortable in her just-against-her-skin t-shirt. Besides, the warm air was pleasant whenever it blew across her skin. "Are you comfortable?"

"I'm fine," he replied, loosening the top few buttons of his shirt.

Kairi could see the toned muscles on his chest, amazed at what advantages he gained because of a little vampire blood. She wanted to question him about what had happened to him, why he had hidden it from her, and about what their future would look like. But she kept quiet, knowing it was a touchy topic for him to discuss. To be frank, she was a little scared to know herself.

"You know, when I'm out here in the light of the moon, I feel really safe," he faced her, "I feel good enough to be around you and everyone else."

"Is that because of what happened to you?"

"Yeah, I guess it is," he answered, looking up at the silver moon. "My family was attacked one day by a group of hunter vampires. They killed everyone I held close to my heard; my mom, my dad, and some other family that I really didn't know, but I loved him regardless. I was spared and left for this cursed fate to take over my life."

"Is that why daddy sent you away?" she asked him. "To make sure that Riku and I would be safe?"

"That probably was a reason, but not the main one." He paused. "Do you remember your mom at all?"

"Not really," she pulled her knees back up to her face. "She left when I really young. She came to visit often, but not often enough. And it was because mom and dad were fighting. They loved to see each other when she came back. But I don't know anything about her. Not even what she looked like."

Reaching over and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Sora smiled, feeling sorry for the girl sitting beside him. At least he had memories; she had nothing to really remember her mother. "It's okay," he told her, allowing for a pause to fill the gap of time. "But, your mom was one of the reasons your dad asked me to go. He wanted me to find out who killed her…which vampire killed her."

"So she was killed by a vampire?" she responded, blinking the tears from her eyes. "Why? What did she do? Why my mom?"

"I don't know," he lied, hoping that keeping the painful truth hidden from her was the right decision. "Are you okay Kairi?"

"I'm fine," she answered, wiping the tears that escaped her eyes. "If my daddy sent you away to find out who killed her, then why are you back? You just told me you don't know who did it?"

"Because I missed you and Riku," he told her, carefully editing the truth before he told her too much. "Besides, I'm not afraid of your dad."

"What about Roxas, Naminé, and Demyx?" she asked, changing the topic of conversation. "How do you know them?"

"I met them half a year before I left," he replied, recalling human memories. "I was wondering around at night, lost in some dark alley. I don't know what Roxas or them were doing – I think they were looking for someone – but they found me. For some strange reason, they helped me. I didn't know they were vampires and I guess they didn't know I was a human.

"Roxas and I got to talking along the way and we became fast friends. Sometime later that night, we were attacked by a bunch of _Renegades_ who were looking for me. The three of them saved me. After that Roxas asked why I didn't run, knowing at that point I was human. I told him that I had to thank them for saving my life. Vampire or not, they stopped me from being killed. I guess we've been good friends after our acceptance of each other."

"Did they know about how you were attacked?" She was interested in how Sora became what he was. Who changed the outcome of his life? "Do you know who changed you?"

"No, I don't know who caused this change," he lied, burying the painful memories. "And I never met up with Roxas, Naminé, or Demyx until half a year ago. I had no idea what they would've thought of me if they found out what happened to me."

"I guess everything turned out alright in the end," Kairi commented. "You're back home with all your friends."

"Yeah, everything did turn out alright in the end," he agreed. A pause followed, filling the air between them. "So…" he said, "what's going on between you and Riku? I didn't think that much would happen while I was away."

"Don't be an idiot, Sora!" she retaliated, shoving him so he lost his balance and tipped to the side. "I guess maybe you haven't changed all that much if you're still the idiot that I remember."

"Hey!" he retorted. "I take offense to that," he joked. "I might as well just leave you up here and return to the clinic."

"Fine," she stated, crossing her arms across her chest, "go ahead and leave."

"Okay." He stood up, went to the roof's edge, and leapt off, landing with a small thud on the grassy lawn below.

Footsteps then silence.

"Sora?" Kairi called out, unfolding her arms. "Sora, were you being serious?" No answer. "Sora, I was only joking. Come back." She stood up and uneasily made her way to the edge, looking at the ground thirty feet below. There was no way she could make a jump like that without breaking something. "Sora, come back! I need you!"

"You called?" he answered, appearing behind her on the rooftop. He lifted her up into his arms and stepped off the roof. Landing softly on the small balcony outside her room, he lowered her to her feet and watched her climb back inside the window. "Who's still an idiot?"

"You're still an idiot," she stated, "but that's what I love about you. The fact that you're my idiot."

"I guess I can settle for that," he answered, placing his hand on the balcony railing. "Night."

"Night."

Sora waited until she closed the window and turned out the light before heading back to the clinic.

-----

The weather took a turn the worst the next day. Most everyone was still asleep, their body drained due to the late night the day before. The sun remained hidden behind thick gray clouds that appeared suddenly, as if it wanted to keep the day from coming. The air was damp and warm, foretelling of the impending rain. It was silent throughout the hallways of the clinic, only the sounds of pencil against paper drifting into the calmness behind closed doors. The professor pulled an all-nighter, trying to finish his paper about new research he had been developing. His irritated remarks could be heard as Riku passed by his office.

"Morning," Riku said, opening the office door. "Up late working again?"

"Yeah," Kaito answered, scribbling furiously. "I need you to work tonight."

"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked, taking a seat in front of Kaito's desk. "Shouldn't she know too?"

"She's not going," Professor replied, looking up from his work. "I want for her to rest tonight. But you won't be going alone. Sora and Roxas will accompany you."

"Is it dangerous?" Riku questioned, worried about the nature of the mission.

"No, it's just like one of your usual missions."

"Then why isn't Kairi coming?"

"Because something could happen to her Riku," Sora stated form the door. "Her life's in danger whenever she's outside at night."

"Danger?" Riku repeated. "What do you mean?"

"It's better if you don't know," Katio responded, returning to his paperwork.

"Kaito-sensei," Riku stood up, slamming his hands on the desk, "What danger is Kairi in?"

The professor remained silent, his hand moving the pencil quickly across the paper. He didn't look up at Riku. Knowing he wasn't getting an answer out of the proessor, Riku turned to the door where Sora had previously stood, but his friend wasn't there.

"Sora?" Riku called, peering into the hallway. The hallways was empty, the sound of footsteps echoing until they slowly faded.

"Meet me back here tonight," Kaito told Riku. "I expect you to be here tonight."

-----

"Kairi, watch this!" Demyx called from his place on the practice stage in his room. He outstretched his hand, his palm open to the ceiling. A sphere of water materialized at his fingertips, brilliantly bending the light as it drifted out of his hand and was replaced by another. After a dozen or so of the gravity-defying water crystals were floating in the space around his head, Demyx picked up his guitar and strummed a note. The spheres vibrated ever so slightly at the sound and then stopped. He looked at her expectantly.

Kairi didn't know exactly how to answer. Sure the water bubbles were nice, but she had seen Demyx make them already. The element of water was under his control, his gift of being a vampire of _Noble_ status. "I think they're nice," she responded, trying to sound sincere. "They're really pretty."

Not noticing the slight insincerity in her voice, Demyx smiled to himself proudly. "You haven't seen anything yet," he proclaimed. "Dance, water, dance!" he shouted in his tenor as he struck a few chords. The water spheres began to zoom around the room, keeping with Demyx's tempo. When he played the finishing chord, the crystals froze and burst into tiny shimmering droplets of water. Each one caught the light, capturing the light's radiance in its tiny structure.

"That was pretty amazing," Kairi applauded, still admiring the captured beauty that drifted to the ground. "You've learned some new things about controlling your power, haven't you?"

"What can I say?" he answered, proud of himself. "I'm just that amazing…handsome…talented…"

"Okay Mr. Talented," she interrupted him, leaning back into her seat, mocking him, "can you tell me why you've having a rehearsal this late at night?"

"Geez Kairi," he retorted, placing his guitar in its case, "it's only 9. Besides, I'm a vampire. I'm most active at night. I thought you would've known that much at least."

"Why do I need to be here then?" she inquired. Something told her that she was missing a mission and she was intentionally not told. To her, it seemed that Demyx was only supposed to keep her occupied.

"Because Kairi," he stepped down from his stage and walked toward her, "this is the only time I get with you anymore. I told you before," he reached out his hand and lightly brushed her hair, "ever since Sora came back, I never get to see you alone anymore." He moved his fingers to just barely touch her lips.

"Don't tell me you're in love with me too?" she replied, pulling her head away from his hand.

Demyx chuckled. "No. It's more like…I'm worried. Worried about the horrible things he could do to you," he brushed the hair away from her neck, "things worse than this mark." He withdre his hand and proceeded to walk back to the stage. "Anyway," his voice was light and spirited again, "do you have any request? I'll play you a song."

Kairi hesitated to answer, her mind trying to comprehend the meaning of Demyx's words. Faintly, she could hear the opening chords for his song "Pain&Kiss," the ballad he had played at the dance.

-----

Riku proceeded down a dark street, the light of a waning moon and those of the street lights illuminating a path for him. The three of them had decided to go in separate directions, each person going after their own vampire. Riku had to check a jewelry store, but to his luck, the vampire fled by the time he had gotten there. Now he had to search the surrounding area for the _Renegade_.

He heard the faint echo of footsteps. Looking around him, there was no one on the dead street other than him. The buildings to his right were abandons, left to rot by the unsuccessful owners. There were no homes on the road for several blocks.

But still, Riku continued to hear footsteps other than his own. They started to close in on him until…

The only sound ringing in his ears was the sound of smashing glass. Whoever had been following him had thrown him into a building, through the window. As Riku's head impacted with the wall, several sharp pains ran along his left leg. He shook the pain from his head and reached for _Way to Dawn_.

But inside the building, he could see nothing. His eyes detected no movement, his ears hearing no sound other than his breathing.

Using the wall for support, he pulled himself up onto his feet. The pained traveled his leg again. He reached down and felt something wet soak through his jeans and even a few tears through the material. "Must've landed on the broken glass," he concluded, fighting the pain as he staggered to the broken window. Each step he took was difficult, a new shock running along his leg.

Then that feeling arose again. The feeling that he wasn't alone, that something was pursuing him. He slowed his breathing, trying to hear for another.

The only sound was that of him connecting with another wall. Ignoring the pain, Riku searched, looking for the other entity. _Whatever it is,_ he thought,_ it's incredibly fast. The only thing with this speed is a…_

He held up _Way to Dawn_ and fired at the first wall he collided with. If glass was embedded into his skin, there was going to be blood. His blood would've attracted a vampire. If it was there, he would know because…

A pained cry filled the room. The bullet hit its mark, or at least wounded the creature. Riku picked himself off the ground and fired again. But the bullets hit the ground, missing their mark. The _Renegade_ was extremely fast, once again knocking Riku to the ground in a matter of seconds.

The situation seemed hopeless. There was no way he could fight that kind of amazing speed. _Maybe that's why we hunt in pairs…_he thought as he waited helplessly.

"Stop where you are," a voice commanded.

Riku tried to focus himself on finding whoever it was that had come to his aid. But in the darkness, all he could see was two sets of blood red eyes. He supposed one belonged to whomever as helping him.

"So you're the special one among our kind," a second voice spoke. It seemed to be a response to the first. "The _Renegade_ with the power of control like a _Superior_."

The first voice didn't respond. The crimson eyes just moved silently across the room.

"Not only that, but you haven't tasted blood yet apparently," the male voice of the second spoke. "A year without human blood." He chuckled. "You must think you're so special, so much better than the rest of us."

Something the second voice said struck a familiar chord with Riku. A year without human blood…just like Sora. _It couldn't be…_He didn't want to believe what the soon-to-be-dead _Renegade_ was saying, but something was telling him to do so.

"Well, you know what," the second voice said, "you're no better than us. You're just a freak given some sort of crazed power for God knows what reason. You're going to end up just like the rest of us. Begging for mercy for this wretched curse!"

"Silence!" the first voice spoke. Riku could hear the power emanating from it, some unnatural power. Then a glimmer of light sparkled. A weapon was now visible to Riku's eyes, a strangely familiar blade. Then the voice spoke again. "Stand at the window." The weapon pointed to the dark night outside.

Without an audible word of protest, the _Renegade_ swiftly stood at the broken opening.

"Riku, please finish him off."

Without thinking, he obeyed the command. He automatically raised the gun, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger. Dust filled the sky in a matter of seconds. Riku turned toward the direction of the red eyes, but they had disappeared. The other presence was still in the room though.

"What did he mean?" Riku questioned. "What is this power of control, Sora?"

"It's something I shouldn't have," Sora answered, his voice normal. "I've been given powers because of my will…those powers of absolute control."

-----

Kairi stared out the window her room, feeling like she had missed out on something in the previous hours. With a sigh, she closed the curtains partially and turned out her lights, climbing into her comfortable bed.

Outside, a dark figure sat on the roof, staring up into the moon's face. He sighed at the lunar marvel, raising his hands to the divine beauty before him.

"So now it begins," he stated. "My role in this prophecy."

* * *

So, how's that for a return chapter. Reviews and criticism are always appreciated!!! Next chapter: **The Luna-tic Arrives**


	9. The LunaTic Arrives

I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did, Sora would totally be all mine...haha. Story is mostly original, but it is inspired by Vampire Knight. I hope that you guys enjoy. Reviews and criticism would be appreciated.

Summery: Sora disappeared from Kairi's life for unknown reasons. A year later, he returns to her and Riku with little to say about his absence. Blood, lust, fear, secrets, friendships, reunions, and promises change their lives.

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* * *

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**9. The Luna-tic Arrives  
****~Tsuki ni Mau Majin~**

When I woke up, I was lying on the ground and my room was completely dark except for a spotlight strangely placed above me. I looked around, trying to see if there was anything in the room, but the intensity of the light directly above me was near blinding. I stood up only to realize that I wasn't wearing my cotton pajamas, but an ornate white strapless dress that had several layers of ruffle under the already full skirt. There were also white elbow-length gloves covering my hands and then I felt a tiara on my head. If I wasn't completely confused and afraid, I would've felt entirely like a princess in the attire.

"Where am I?" I called out into the darkness.

At first, nothing responded, but then the spotlight suddenly shut off, plunging me into complete and eternal darkness. I remained still, unmoving, afraid that any movement would result in an unfavorable consequence. It was dark for several moments and then a warm light slowly started to grow from in the corner of my eye. I debated going to the source, instinct telling me that some sort of danger was awaiting me, but I wanted to the return of my sight. The distance wasn't too far away, so I took the risk.

With each step I took, the heels that had somehow gotten on my feet clicked, the sound echoing continuously. As I got closer to the light source, what looked like a large fire started to take shape. Beyond the fire, an outline of a person steadily grew clearer. Whoever it was, it seemed that he was fighting, as if he was chained to the wall. The sound of chains soon mingled with the roar of the overgrown fire. Once I worked my way around the flame, I saw who it was.

"Sora!" I said, running to his side. "Sora, where are we? What's happened? How did this happen to you?"

He looked up to me, his eyes pleading. The chained around his ankles disabled him from standing up. His hand caressed my cheek slowly as he whispered a word of apology. I had no clue why he was apologizing to me. He was the one strapped to chains, not me. His head jerked up suddenly and his eyes glared at someone.

"You've finally woken up," a male voice greeted me calmly. His hand was touching my shoulder gently.

I turned my head around to meet who it was. The man was wearing a black hooded cloak, the hood covering his face to hide his identity from my eyes. Sora seemed to know who he was, for the look in his eyes was spiteful. The hooded man grabbed my forearm, yanking me up from the ground and pulling me along with him. The room then suddenly lit up, revealing 9 other people wearing almost identical black coats.

Then I was thrown to the nearest one, the glove on my right hand pulled off. The cloaked figure caught me, taking my wrist to his lips and biting it. Whoever it was, he were a vampire. The person drew blood as I tried to break lose. After a few seconds, the man thrust me toward another, who also repeated the same routine. This was done with the other 7 vampires.

I was returned to the first cloaked figure, who didn't do what the others had done. Instead, he held both my wrist, locked in his grip. Someone started reciting what sounded like a prayer in some strange language. I fought to break free, but I was too weak. My kicking and tugging didn't faze him whatsoever. Looking into the hood, I saw two red eyes staring back at me.

"I do," he said when the strange poem was finished.

He leaned in toward me, his eyes malicious and bloodthirsty. His hand grabbed my chin and forced my face toward his. He kissed me, his filthy disgusting lips crushing against mine. I punched at him with my free hand, but it was pointless. When he removed his lips from mine, he received a jagged hand knife from one of the other members.

A feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that my heart was where the knife was going to end up. With the tool in one hand, he started to remove his hood. My mouth opened to a soundless scream as he swung the knife immediately after his hood fell.

-----

Kairi sat up in her bed, her blanket flying to the floor as a scream filled the room. She opened her eyes, relieved to see the pale pink walls of her room and grateful that her bed was underneath her. She grabbed her pillow and pressed it to her chest, which rose and dropped heavily.

"It was just a dream," she told herself, checking her wrist for any sign of a bite. Nothing. "Just a dream."

"Kairi?" Her father's voice boomed from behind the door before it was thrown open. Kaito marched into the room in an anxious manner. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," Kairi answered, taken back by her father's sudden appearance. "I guess I had a bad dream or something."

"Okay," he replied, pushing his glasses back up his nose closer to his face. "You need to get ready so you can come with me to work. Apparently, we have a surprise visitor from the High Council. He says he wants to meet you and Riku."

"The vampire council?" she questioned, wondering why they would come now. "Wants to see me and Riku?"

"Yes," Kaito answered, sounding rushed as he walked to the door. "Axel stated that we should hurry over. Apparently the Council doesn't like to wait."

"Oh, okay," she replied, waiting till her father closed the door behind him to get ready.

-----

"Professor Kaito, this is the High Council's second-in-command, Saïx," Axel said, introducing the two men. "Saïx, this is Kaito, primary chief of this clinic and ex-hunter."

"It's nice to meet you, Saïx-sama," the professor greeted, extending his hand to the man before him. "It's an honor to meet someone of your status in the vampire community."

"As is mine, Kaito-sensei," Saïx answered, taking the hand in his. Saïx was dressed in the usual garment of the Council members, a black coat with a hood. "It seems that the accommodations you offer are of the highest standards."

"I would never offer anything less," Kaito answered proudly. "May I inquire what the nature of your visit is?"

"The Council's Superior sent me here to observe, for a week, how your proposal is holding up and the two humans which the vampires had so closely befriended," Saïx responded. "You are fine with that, I assume?"

"Yes," Kaito replied, his voice wavering slightly. "I will draw up the details of where you'll be residing for the duration of your stay shortly."

"That would be appreciated. Thank you." Saïx walked to one corner of the room. "May I ask where your daughter Kairi is? And her friend Riku? I too am intrigued upon why Roxas and the others would become close friends to those mere humans instead of taking their blood."

"Saïx, at this place, we don't talk about drinking blood," Axel explained.

"My dearest apologizes," Saïx stated. "I forgot the nature of this environment."

"No, it's fine," Kaito told him. "Kairi went to get Riku and tell him about your visit. They should be here shortly."

"Kaito-sensei, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Sora said as he walked into the room. "I think we shou—" he stopped midsentence when he saw Saïx. His hands balled into fist at his side and his eyes filled with hatred for the man who had suddenly showed up.

"Sora, don't just stand there," Axel scolded, pushing Sora's head down so his upper body bent over in a bow. "Be respectful. He's the Council's number 2, if you don't recall."

"I apologize for my ignorance," Sora stated, his eyes staring at the ground. He was grateful that Axel was forcing his head down because neither of the adults could see how forced the words were. "Please forgive me."

"Axel, let the child go," Saïx told him. "You know better than to mess with the Superior's favorite." Sora could hear the venom underneath Saïx's words, the true intention of the message.

"Sora," the professor said, "could you show Saïx-sama the bedroom directly across the hallway from yours. That is where he'll be residing for the next seven days of his visit."

"No way am I gon—!"

"Sora!" Axel cut him off. "Escort Saïx to his room. Remember where you stand."

"Shall we proceed?" Saïx questioned, waiting for Sora to take the lead.

"_Hai_…" Sora moaned, forcing his feet to move. He could feel Saïx's eyes on his back the entire way, curiously watching his movements and actions. He didn't dare turn to look at the man behind him until they reached their destination.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Saïx questioned Sora, an expectant look on his face.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Sora opened the door and waited for Saïx to say something.

"Come with me, boy," he commanded, dragging Sora into the room by the wrist. The room was very much like Sora's, except with more furniture. "I can feel how much you're fighting the prophecy. You, of all people, should know that resisting in useless. The inevitable will happen."

"Nothing's ever set in stone," Sora retorted, not stunned by the change in behavior. "Xemnas made a mistake in choosing me to carry out his dirty work. I won't do what he tells me."

"Which is exactly why I'm here," Saïx responded, chuckling quietly to himself. "That will of yours is why he chose you. That will is also the only hindrance to the completion of the prophecy. I'm here to break that will. To force you to do our bidding. You're the key to seeing the future unfold in our favor, but at the same time, you're also the lock. Without you or the human bride, nothing can be done."

"I guess that's tough luck for you then," Sora stated proudly.

"You haven't seen what I can do," Saïx told Sora. "You're gonna learn what it's like to have your will crushed and replaced by ours."

A knock came at the door. Saïx looked at Sora expectantly again.

"You're not gonna get it?" he said in a scolding tone. "It's impolite to leave guests waiting at the door."

"I may be your _tool_," he whispered under his breath angrily, "but I'm certainly not your door boy. Get the freakin' door yourself." He opened the door to find Kairi and Riku waiting to be let in.

"Hey Sora," Kairi greeted happily. "Daddy told us that you went to show our guest his room. How nice of you."

"Uh…yeah," he responded. _Guess her daddy didn't tell her that I was forced to do this._

Saïx stepped into view behind Sora, his eyes automatically locking onto Kairi. "You two must be Sora's friends." He looked over to Riku, briefly acknowledging the silver haired boy's presence. "I assume that you're this Riku I've heard about." He turned back to Kairi, reaching over Sora's shoulder to take her hand in his. "And you must be Kaito-sensei's beautiful daughter, Kairi," he took her hand to his lips, "It's my pleasure to meet you."

Her face went red. "N-nice to meet you too."

Sora had to fight the urge to hit Saïx. He knew Saïx wouldn't try anything now while it was still early. Saïx was a professional schemer, capable of masking his true intentions till the very end.

"I know that I was the one who asked to see you," Saïx stated, "but may I have some time to myself? The trip here was very tiring."

"What are you talking about?"Sora remarked. "You're a vampire. You don't get t—" His phrase was cut short as something stomped on his foot.

"That's fine with me," Riku answered, already walking down the hallway. "If anyone needs me, you know where to find me."

"Would you like me to bring you anything?" Kairi offered. "Water? Tea?"

"I believe that your father developed a blood tablet which Axel informed me of," he replied. "I'm intrigued by those. Would it be too much to ask for one?"

"It'll be no trouble," Kairi answered, starting down the hallway. "I'll be right back with one for you."

"Thank you," he called after her. He pushed Sora into the hallway. "Remember what I have told you," he stated ominously. "The future will unfold when the prophecy is fulfilled."

As the door closed behind him, Sora glared at it, knowing this visit had more purpose than Saïx let on. He had to be more careful for the next week. He had to make sure that Kairi stayed away from Saïx, that she didn't get too close to him. Who knew what the lunatic had up his sleeve?

-----

"Hey Riku," Sora greeted, as he walked into the courtyard just outside the walls of the clinic. Riku was perched on a low branch that stood in the middle of the green field. Riku waved at him before returning to his thoughts. "How's your leg?"

"They got all the glass out and bandaged everything up. They told me that I was lucky that I didn't need to get stitches," Riku explained. "It still hurts a little when I walk, but nothing major."

"That's good," Sora said, leaning against the trunk next to his friend. "I'm sorry I couldn't get there sooner. I was around when I heard the first shot go off, but I didn't get there soon enough."

"Don't beat yourself up over this. Besides, I was thrown into the building before the gunshot. Either way, I would've still had these wounds," Riku told him. "I don't know what would've happened if you didn't show up."

"I told you already," Sora stated. "I didn't ask for any of this. I would do anything to get my old life back. Anything to make it so that I don't have this burning sensation in my throat…so I don't crave blood, Kairi's blood…so I don't have these powers…"

"That's been on my mind," Riku commented. "According to all the archives, only vampires of _Noble_ and _Superior_ status can possess those kinds of powers. Yet you, someone who was turned into a vampire, has this power that only _Superior_ vampires have. What's with that?"

"I dunno," Sora answered. "Whoever it was that changed me must've seen something in me. And this power is something _Superior_ vampires don't even have."

"What do ya mean?"

"The ability they have is limited only to controlling vampires of lower status. They can't exercise their control over humans either," Sora explained. "But I can use my control freely on anyone. Humans, _Renegades_, and even _Noble_ and _Superior_ vampires."

Sora waited for Riku to make some sign of a response, but the air was silent and still.

"Like I said, I'd do anything to return to how things were before. To be human again." Sora hit his fist against the tree trunk. "To be able to be around Kairi and have her safe."

"Sora," Riku said in a calm voice, "have you used that power on anyone?"

"Well, yeah. At first, I didn't know about if or how it worked," Sora responded. "But the more I used it, the more I came to understand it."

"No, I meant, did you use it on anyone here?"

"N-no, I haven't," Sora stuttered, hoping Riku wouldn't catch the lie on his lips.

"Okay," Riku simply said, leaving things at that. He turned back to the sky. "Someone's coming this way."

Sora looked at the entrance to the courtyard. "It's Roxas," he stated, watching his friend, his hands in his pocket, stroll over in their direction. His strut was casual, but there was something urgent about it.

"Seems like he needs to talk to you," Riku commented, briefly glancing in Roxas' direction. "Looks like it's important."

"What do you think it could be about?" Sora asked.

"How would I know?" Riku shrugged. "I guess you're about to find out."

"Sora," Roxas said without acknowledging Riku's presence, "I need to talk to you."

"Umm…sure," Sora answered, pushing himself off the tree trunk. "I'll see you later, Riku."

"See ya later," Riku responded, suddenly remembering something. "Kaito-sensei told me to tell you that we've got a job tonight. We'll be working in our usual pairs."

"Alright," he replied, following Roxas back into the building. "I'll see you tonight then," he shouted back before he left.

"You don't mind if we head into town, do you?" Roxas asked. "I need a change in scenery."

"Sure," Sora responded, glad to get away from the place himself. _Who knows what Saïx could do to me?_

-----

They walked into a quaint coffee shop located not too far from the clinic which was named "The Moogle and Magic." Sora thought that the name was a little strange (weren't Moogles creatures from another world?), but Roxas assured him that they had the most amazing menu, so he decided to give it a chance. They were immediately seated and given menus. Sora, since this was his first time here, took a few extra moments to look through the selection.

"You ready?" Roxas asked when Sora put down his menu.

"Yeah," Sora answered.

Sora anticipated for Roxas to signal a waiter over to their table, but that wasn't the case. Instead, Roxas pushed a button that was located right next to the table and a holographic figure of some strange creature appeared. It was white with a red nose and closed eyes. A red ball was attached to the antenna on the top of its head, causing the antenna to droop over in front of its face. Sora studied it, fascinated by the use of technology.

"I'm guessing that this is a Moogle," Sora half inquired.

"Yeah," Roxas answered, amused at Sora's curiosity with the hologram. He directed his next statement to the Moogle. "I'll have a Sea-Salt Smoothie."

The Moogle pressed some invisible button, jumped joyously, and then turned to Sora with an expectant look on its face.

"Oh," Sora said when he realized that the Moogle was waiting for his order, "I'll have a Tropical Island Shake."

The Moogle repeated the same process and then disappeared. A few seconds later, a real Moogle showed up at their table with the drinks in hand. After it served the drinks, it quickly disappeared.

"Has this place always been here?" Sora asked, realizing that he had never seen it before.

"Yeah, but only we can access it," Roxas responded. "It caters specifically to vampires. You see, when Kaito-sensei found success with his blood tablets, he established this place for us. The drinks have the smallest traces of his tablets incorporated into them."

"Oh." Sora took a sip of his drink. Sure it was delicious, the fruit mix was a refreshing taste, but it didn't do anything to quell the slight burning in his throat. Further proof that the tablets had no effect on him. "This is really good!"

"I'm addicted to their Sea-Salt Smoothies," Roxas stated after taking a drink from his glass. "It's salty at first, but then it gets sweeter. Axel-sama got me hooked onto them."

"I'll have to try that one sometime," Sora stated.

The conversation died, leaving the air between the two friends somewhat tense. Sora tried to fill the emptiness, but an appropriate topic wouldn't come to mind. Instead, he drank from the glass in front of him.

"You know," Roxas said, finally breaking the silence, "Naminé's realized that there's some hole in her memory."

"A hole?" Sora repeated uneasily. "What do you mean?"

"It's a memory that involves you," Roxas continued. "One second, she's talking to you, then darkness, and then you're on the ground like someone punched you in the stomach."

"Darkness," he said again. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's as I said. Darkness. Nothing." Roxas looked down at his drink, his eyes worried. "She doesn't understand why it's there. Her memory is her gift, like mine's is the manipulation of light. Nothing should be wrong with her memory."

"Do you think I had something to do with it?" Sora questioned. "Since it's about me?"

"I guess so," Roxas answered. "Just…do you remember what happened then? Naminé may not remember, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't."

Sora recalled that afternoon all too well. It's the one he didn't want her to remember, so he made it that way. Having Naminé notice added another worry to his list. He didn't need any more on top of what he already had, so he promptly lied to his friend, a habit he found himself doing more often.

"I can't remember what happened that day," he stated, hoping Roxas wouldn't catch his bluff.

"Naminé can sample your memory to see what happened," Roxas remembered, recalling the conversation he had with Naminé a few nights ago. That also reminded him of the blood he found in the dark room on the night of the dance.

Knowing about Naminé's power, Sora knew having her glance at his memory would not be a good thing. But if he made a fuss about it, Roxas could suspect something. He could use his power to make Roxas forget about it, but Riku was beginning to catch on. His choices were starting to look not too bright now.

"Hey Sora," Roxas said quietly, "there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?" Sora asked, grateful for a change in subject.

"On the night of the dance, after you and Kairi disappeared, I found some blood in this empty room." Roxas considered continuing, but in a room of vampires who could be listening, it seemed like a bad choice. He told Sora to quickly finish his drink and then they left the shop.

Sora followed as Roxas led him through the town in a series of random turns at any which street. "What were you saying, Roxas?"

"I found blood in one of the rooms, but it wasn't human blood. It tasted like that of a _Superior_ vampire." Roxas paused, briefly glancing back at the unchanged expression on Sora's face. "There's this prophecy among our kind, one that speaks of some marriage between a human and a vampire. This marriage will grant awesome power to the vampire who participates in it. But the catch is that it can't be any human girl…"

"This human has to possess the blood of a _Superior_ vampire," Sora finished for him, knowing the story all too well.

"I'm not surprised that you know about this," Roxas said. "Sora, we know about how you can only live off of human blood. We've kept quiet about that. But when I found that blood, the _Superior_ blood, something clicked. Kairi's human, completely and undeniably human. But is she the human bride destined for the prophecy?"

"Looks like we've found out who it is," a voice stated. It came from the shadows of the near setting day. "The prophecy is now in our reach."

"Now all we have to do is find her," a second voice replied.

"Whoever you are," Sora called, his hand outstretched. "Show yourselves." The _Keyblade_ appeared in his hands, shining brilliantly in the darkening day.

Two figures stepped out from the shadows of the alley beside them. Roxas waved his hand and a cage of light surrounded the two vampires.

"I didn't actually think they would walk out like that," Roxas commented, finding it weird for two vampires to listen to someone of Sora's status.

"Yeah, that's a little strange," Sora agreed, watching the captured vampires for any sign of retaliation.

But there was none. The two captured vampires remained still inside the cage.

"Something's off here," Roxas said. "Why aren't they struggling? Trying to get out?"

"You're right," Sora agreed, moving closer to investigate the strange behavior.

The expression on the vampires' faces were blank, their eyes void of any thought or emotion. Their bodies were still and unmoving also. It was as if they had been frozen into these positions. Sora, knowing the potential risks, reached through the bars, careful not to touch the light, and tried to stir a reaction from one of them. As he was about to poke one on the shoulder, it suddenly lashed out and grabbed Sora's arm.

"Roxas!" Sora called for help. "Removed the cage!"

With another wave of his arm, the light disappeared, allowing for Sora, and the other vampires, to move freely. The second vampire, the one not engaged in battle with Sora, started after Roxas. In defense, Roxas held his arms up, and a wall of light surrounded him. He thrust his arms out, causing the wall to radiate away from him. It repelled the on-coming enemy, but Roxas withdrew it so it wouldn't harm Sora. The vampire got up again and threw itself after Roxas again. Holding his hands away from his body, Roxas conjured a sword of light, which he used to slice through the vampire's body. The creature fell to the ground, cringing in pain. Feeling slightly sorry for the being, Roxas pointed directly at the vampire's chest and a pillar of light engulfed it. It incinerated the creature, leaving behind dust, which drifted into the wind.

Meanwhile, Sora was locked in a more physical battle. The vampire, after the light cage disappeared, pulled Sora into itself, disabling Sora's other arm in the process. The vampire then bit into Sora's shoulder. He suppressed a cry of pain, but a whisper of agony escaped his lips. Remembering what metal the _Keyblade_ was made of, Sora skillfully maneuvered the handle of his blade and stabbed the creature in the leg. The vampire's grip on him loosened and Sora seized the opportunity to toss the being over his head onto the ground in front of him. Ignoring his bloody shoulder, he quickly moved to pierce the creature through the chest with the _Keyblade_. The vampire screamed, shrieked out in unfathomable pain and agony. It echoed through the sky, filling Sora's and Roxas' ears with the unbearable sound. As the sound faded, the vampire faded to dust, the wind capturing the particles and blowing them away.

"Sora," Roxas walked up to his friend, "we should get your shoulder checked."

"No," he answered, his chest rapidly rising and dropping from the adrenaline of the battle. "I'll be fine. My wounds heal quickly; I just need time for them to heal over."

"But shouldn't you sti—"

"I don't want them to worry about me. Everyone would freak out if they saw this," he clasped his hand over the now not bleeding shoulder, "especially Kairi. She needs to worry about herself ore than she does me."

-----

Kairi watched the _Superior_ vampire entering the Briefing Room. Saïx moved so swiftly, as if his feet never touched the ground, like he was gliding above the floor. He also seemed so calm and had a regal air about him. It was also mysterious, the nature of this vampire. Everything about him was shrouded in mystery. He had shown up out of nowhere and decided to take residence. His intentions seemed like there was more than he let on. But what intrigued her the most was the history of the scars on his face. Did he get them in battle? Or was there some significance behind them?

"Kairi," Saïx' spoke, breaking Kairi of her trance, "may I inquire to what are you so intently watching?"

"N-nothing," she replied, realizing that she had previously been staring.

Saïx laughed quietly to himself and walked over to Kairi. He took a strand of her hair in his hand and took in its scent. "You look very much like your mother."

"You knew my mother?" she questioned, remembering what Sora had told her.

"Not exactly," he answered in his slow manner of speaking. "I met her once, but never saw her again."

"Why?" she asked, wondering if Saïx had the answers to her questions. "Do you know what happened to her when I was little?"

"She got caught in the middle of a horrible conflict," he told her. "I don't remember all the details, but it's tragic how your mother died."

"How?" she quickly questioned. "How? For what reasons?"

"I'm not the best person to answer those questions," Saïx responded. "But I know of someone who can get you all the answers you desire."

"Who?" she eagerly inquired. Ever since Sora told her about her mother's death, questions constantly bombarded her any moment she wasn't worried about Sora. How did her mother die exactly? For what reason was she killed? By whom? Why didn't someone tell her?

"Your friends Roxas, Naminé, and Demyx hold the answer," Saïx told her. "Sora could tell you the story, but –"

"Sorry I'm late," Riku announced, walking into the room in a hurry. "I feel asleep outside…where's Sora and Roxas?"

"We're here!" Roxas called as they ran into the room. "We got a little held up."

Kaito marched into the room, this time without any manila folders. He flew past the children and Saïx and took a seat at his desk. There was a grave expression on his face. "I've just been informed that there was a sighting of hunter vampires in the area."

Hunter vampires were vampires of any status that decided to hunt the _Renegade_ hunters as their profession. They are of rare numbers in the population, but there was a substantial number of them to do damage if they weren't careful.

"You don't say," Sora said in a joking manner, placing his hand on his nearly healed shoulder. Someone must've been nearby when he and Roxas were attacked.

"There's no mission tonight, but I want the four of you to patrol the area," Kaito informed them. "Don't underestimate these hunters. They don't hold any restraint when they want to attack, so be careful."

"Got'cha daddy," Kairi answered, getting up from her seat. "Let's go Riku." She walked over to the wall of weaponry and picked up her _Flowering Strength_.

"I'm gonna go ahead," Roxas told Sora, who was glaring intently at Saïx. "I'll wait for you outside."

"You're not partnered with Kairi?" Saïx questioned Sora. "Why I'm disappointed. I was hoping to do some observation tonight on this human-vampire interaction."

"Well, if that's the case," Kaito said, "Kairi, you work with Sora tonight. Riku, you're with Roxas."

"Thank you, Kaito-sensei," Saïx stated. "I am grateful for this opportunity of observation."

Sora glared at Saïx of sheer rage. Saïx was working the strings behind everything to get what he wanted. Saïx wanted Sora to spend more time with Kairi. Even though he loved her company more than anything in the world, the more time he spent with her, the faster the other side of him took over. Saïx knew that Kairi would bring out the vampire in him. He was going to exploit this weakness to his advantage.

-----

"I think he left," Kairi commented.

Sora paused, listening to the air around them. "I think he went to check on the other two."

"You know, something's been on my mind," she admitted. "I noticed something about Saïx-sama."

"What?"

The two of them walked down the street in a steady rhythm. The night air was warm on their skin. Stars twinkled in the sky above. They had not encountered anything on their patrol and Sora hoped it would remain that way. She was already in enough danger with him around. Add in a few more vampires and things would only get worse.

"He was the one in the robe that give him the hand knife," she said. "He's wearing the same robe I saw in my dream."

"What dream?" he questioned, suddenly curious.

"You were in it too. I was in this weird room. It was completely dark, but then a fire came out of nowhere. I walked toward it, only to find you chained to the wall and floor. You apologized to me for some strange reason. And then some man in a black cloak showed up. He pulled me away from you toward 9 others wearing similar black coats.

"I was tossed from guy to guy and they each took my wrist and drank some blood. Then I ended up back with the first black coat. A strange prayer was recited then he said, 'I do.' He kissed me and then received a hand knife."

"What happened next?" Sora asked, making mental detailed notes about her dream.

"I woke up," Kairi replied. "I woke up screaming. It seemed so real."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"Nothing much," she said. "Nothing other than that I was wearing a white dress and a tiara."

_Human bride_.

Those words just popped into her head. She didn't understand their meaning or why there were related. But as quickly as they appeared, they didn't sit on her mind for too long before fading back into the background.

"How are you two faring?" Riku asked, walking toward the two of them.

"We haven't found anything," Sora answered. "How 'bout you two?"

"Nothin'," Roxas replied. "But I realized that this guy," he pointed his thumb to Riku, "is no fun to be around."

"It wasn't my fault that Saïx convinced Kaito-sensei to rearrange us," Riku retorted. "If anyone's to blame, it's him."

"I'd be careful of what I was saying," Sora urged. "He could be listening right now."

"Well, we're gonna get going then," Riku stated, an uneasiness in his voice. "We're gonna do one more check and then head back to the clinic."

"We're going to what?" Roxas complained, following Riku as he marched away.

"I guess we can call it a night," Kairi stated. "Let's go back."

Sora followed, capturing her scent as it drifted in the breeze. His will was slowly weakening, as he noticed. Each time he drank her blood, it weakened further. It became more vulnerable to Xemnas' hold. If it kept weakening, it would soon become inevitable. Kairi's recent nightmare, Xemnas' dream, would come true.

* * *

So, what happens next? Keep reading to find out! Thanks to everyone who leaves a review or favorite/alerts this story!


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